§27-6A-5 Release of acquitee to less restrictive environment; discharge from jurisdiction of the court.
§27-6A-5. Release of acquitee to less restrictive environment; discharge from jurisdiction of the court.
(a) If, at any time prior to the expiration of the court's jurisdiction, the chief medical officer or responsible official of the mental health facility to which an acquitee has been ordered pursuant to subsection (e), section four of this article believes that the acquitee is not mentally ill or does not have significant dangerousness risk factors associated with mental illness, he or she shall file with the court of record notice of the belief and shall submit evidence in support of the belief to include a forensic evaluation dangerousness report conducted in like manner as said subsection and recommendations for treatment, including medications, that reduce or eliminate the dangerousness risk factors associated with mental illness. The court of record shall hold a hearing within thirty days of receipt of the notice to consider evidence as to whether the acquitee shall be released from the mental health facility to a less restrictive environment. Notice of the hearing shall be made available to the prosecuting attorney responsible for the charges brought against the acquitee at trial, the acquitee and his or her counsel and the mental health facility. If upon consideration of the evidence the court determines that an acquitee may be released from a mental health facility to a less restrictive setting, the court shall order, within fifteen days of the hearing, the acquitee be released upon terms and conditions, if any, the court considers appropriate for the safety of the community and the well-being of the acquitee. Any terms and conditions imposed by the court must be protective and therapeutic in nature, not punitive. When a defendant's dangerousness risk factors associated with mental illness are reduced or eliminated as a result of any treatment, the court, in its discretion, may make the continuance of appropriate treatment, including medications, a condition of the defendant's release from inpatient hospitalization. The court shall maintain jurisdiction of the defendant in accordance with said subsection. Upon notice that an acquitee released on the condition that he or she continues appropriate treatment does not continue his or her treatment, the prosecuting attorney responsible for the charges brought against the acquitee at trial shall, by motion, cause the court to reconsider the acquitee's release and upon a showing that the acquitee is in violation of the conditions of his or her release, the court may reorder the acquitee to a mental health facility designated by the department which is the least restrictive setting appropriate to manage the acquitee and protect the public.
(b) No later than thirty days prior to the release from a mental health facility or other management setting of an acquitee because of the expiration of the court's jurisdiction as set in accordance with subsection (e), section four of this article, if the acquitee's physician, psychologist, chief medical officer or other responsible party is of the opinion that the acquitee's mental illness renders the acquitee to be likely to cause serious harm to self or others, the supervising physician, psychologist, chief medical officer or other responsible party shall notify the court of record who shall promptly notify the prosecuting attorney in the county of the court having jurisdiction of the opinion and the basis for the opinion. Following notification, the prosecuting attorney may file, within ten days, a civil commitment application against the acquitee pursuant to article five of this chapter.