Montana Code Annotated
Part 1. Treatment of the Seriously Mentally Ill
53-21-122. Petition for commitment -- filing of -- initial hearing on

53-21-122. Petition for commitment -- filing of -- initial hearing on. (1) The petition must be filed with the clerk of court who shall immediately notify the judge.
(2) (a) The judge shall consider the petition. If the judge finds no probable cause, the petition must be dismissed. If the judge finds probable cause and the respondent does not have private counsel present, the judge may order the office of state public defender, provided for in 2-15-1029, to immediately assign counsel for the respondent, and the respondent must be brought before the court with the respondent's counsel. The respondent must be advised of the respondent's constitutional rights, the respondent's rights under this part, and the substantive effect of the petition. The respondent must also be advised that the professional person appointed to conduct the examination under 53-21-123 will include in the professional person's report a recommendation about whether the respondent should be diverted from involuntary commitment to short-term inpatient treatment provided for in 53-21-1205 and 53-21-1206 or to a category D assisted living facility as provided in 53-21-199. The respondent may at this appearance object to the finding of probable cause for filing the petition. The judge shall appoint a professional person and set a date and time for the hearing on the petition that may not be on the same day as the initial appearance and that may not exceed 5 days, including weekends and holidays, unless the fifth day falls upon a weekend or holiday and unless additional time is requested on behalf of the respondent.
(b) If the court finds that an appropriate person is willing and able to perform the functions of a friend of respondent as set out in this part and the respondent personally or through counsel consents, the court shall appoint the person as the friend of respondent. The friend of respondent may be the next of kin, the person's conservator or legal guardian, if any, a representative of a charitable or religious organization, or any other person appointed by the court. Only one person may at any one time be the friend of respondent within the meaning of this part. The court may at any time, for good cause, change its designation of the friend of respondent. The court shall change the designation of the friend of respondent at the request of the respondent or if it determines that a conflict of interest exists between the respondent and the friend of respondent.
(3) If a judge is not available in the county in person, the clerk shall notify a resident judge by telephone and shall read the petition to the judge. The judge may do all things necessary through the clerk of court by telephone as if the judge were personally present, including ordering the office of state public defender, provided for in 2-15-1029, to immediately provide assigned counsel. The judge, through the clerk of court, may also order that the respondent be brought before a justice of the peace with the respondent's counsel to be advised of the respondent's constitutional rights, the respondent's rights under this part, and the contents of the order, as well as to furnish the respondent with a copy of the order. The respondent must also be advised that the professional person appointed to conduct the examination under 53-21-123 will include in the professional person's report a recommendation about whether the respondent should be diverted from involuntary commitment to short-term inpatient treatment provided for in 53-21-1205 and 53-21-1206 or to a category D assisted living facility as provided in 53-21-199. The justice of the peace shall ascertain the desires of the respondent with respect to the assignment of counsel or the hiring of private counsel, pursuant to 53-21-116 and 53-21-117, and this information must be immediately communicated to the resident judge.
History: En. 38-1305 by Sec. 5, Ch. 466, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 546, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 38-1305(3); amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 547, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 376, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 20, Ch. 490, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 59, Ch. 449, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 80, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 481, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 39, Ch. 358, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 402, L. 2017.

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