(a) Whenever the Mayor orders a patient into an institution pursuant to the provisions of § 24-703, he shall immediately appoint 2 qualified physicians, 1 of whom shall be a psychiatrist, to examine the said patient, and within 5 days after such appointment, each physician shall file with the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, a written report of such examination, which shall include a statement of his conclusion as to whether the patient is a drug user.
(b) The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia shall review the facts and circumstances of each case submitted to him and present by petition those in which he feels justification exists in the public interest to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for determination and disposition, or dismiss the patient from custody. A copy of such petition shall be served on the patient in open court, at which time the court shall set a hearing date and advise the patient of his right to counsel and his right to demand within 5 days a trial by jury.
CREDIT(S)
(June 24, 1953, 67 Stat. 78, ch. 149, § 5; July 24, 1956, 70 Stat. 610, ch. 676, title I, § 101; July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 572, Pub. L. 91-358, title I, § 155(c)(31).)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 24-605.
1973 Ed., § 24-605.
Change in Government
This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 (D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act (D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.