Appeals court upholds $370,000 in sanctions on state hospital department for slow admission of incompetent defendants
The Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported that the Court of Appeal, Division One, upheld a Los Angeles judge's four monetary sanctions against the Department of State Hospitals, totaling $370,000, in People v. Kareem A. The sanctions covered disobedience of orders in 247 cases; the orders generally required admission within 30 days, and every sanctioned case involved a delay of 60 days or more.
DSH argued the sanctions statute did not reach it and that it simply lacked beds. The court rejected both points, reasoning that criminal cases cannot move forward until DSH admits and treats incompetent defendants, and that the department had had about ten years to address wait times without doing enough to be excused.
The ruling matters beyond Los Angeles because it confirms trial courts can use money sanctions to press the state on admission delays, adding to the Stiavetti trial-court deadlines then in effect.
Source: State Unit Properly Sanctioned for Delayed Compliance With Orders — Metropolitan News-Enterprise, by MetNews Staff Writer
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