Supreme Court of Georgia, 1982

The court held that a mental-health facility may owe a duty of reasonable care to third parties when it exercises control over a patient it knows or should know is likely to harm them.

The court approved the State Disciplinary Board's recommendations arising from two proceedings against William T. R. Burkhalter. It accepted his petition for voluntary discipline, indefinitely suspended him from practicing law in Georgia, and dismissed the other proceeding.