MCA Chapter 32

in effect

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-32-1 Scope of chapter; involuntary commitment upon judgment of chancery court.

The provisions of this chapter shall be supplemental to the provision of Title 41, Chapters 30 and 31, Mississippi Code of 1972. A person may be involuntarily committed for alcoholism or drug addiction, or both, to a private treatment facility, upon a judgment of the chancery court of the county of such person’s residence, or in the county where such person may be found.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-32-3 Filing Uniform Alcohol and Drug Commitment Affidavit for judgment of committal.

Any interested person may file a Uniform Alcohol and Drug Commitment Affidavit with the chancery court for a judgment of committal in termtime or in vacation. The affidavit shall state facts to establish: (a) the defendant is an alcoholic or drug addict, i.e., he is powerless over alcohol or drugs, or both, and his life has thereby become unmanageable; (b) defendant’s mental and physical health, his continued family life or his position in the community are dependent on his treatment at a chemical dependency unit, alcohol and drug unit, outpatient house or another private treatment facility, or combination of facilities, providing treatment for chemically dependent persons; (c) the defendant has refused to commit himself to such private treatment facility, though having been requested so to do by persons who genuinely care for his well-being; (d) the affiant has selected a particular private treatment facility which, if located in this state, has been approved by the Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse; (e) the affiant has made adequate financial arrangements for defendant’s treatment at such facility; and (f) such facility has approved the admission of the defendant, subject to commitment by the chancery court.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-32-5 Hearing; presence of attorney; order for commitment; period of confinement.

The chancellor shall schedule with the affiant a time on a day certain for the hearing thereof, not less than five (5) days nor more than twenty (20) days from the filing of the affidavit. The case shall be triable upon three (3) days’ service of process and service of notice of the time for the hearing. At the time fixed, the chancellor shall hear the evidence in the presence of the defendant if he will appear, and without the presence of the defendant if he will not appear, and all persons interested shall have the right to appear and present evidence touching upon the truth and correctness of the allegations of the affidavit. The clerk must ascertain whether the respondent is represented by an attorney, and if it is determined that the respondent does not have an attorney, the clerk immediately must notify the chancellor of that fact. If the chancellor determines that the respondent for any reason does not have the services of an attorney, the chancellor must appoint an attorney for the respondent before a hearing on the affidavit. If the defendant admits the truth and correctness of the allegations of the affidavit, or if the chancellor shall find from the evidence that the defendant is an alcoholic or drug addict, or both, and is in need of detention, care and treatment in a private treatment facility, and that the other material allegations of the affidavit are true, then the chancellor shall enter a judgment so finding, and shall order that such person be committed to and confined in a chemical dependency unit, alcohol and drug unit, outpatient house or any other private treatment facility, within or outside the state, for the treatment of chemically dependent persons, as the chancellor, in his discretion, deems to be in the best interest of the defendant. Any such order for the commitment of the defendant shall require that the defendant be committed for such period of time as the chancellor shall determine, in his discretion, as is necessary to provide for the care and treatment of the defendant or for such other period of time as may be established by authorized personnel at the designated facility or facilities; however, in no event shall such period of confinement extend beyond a period of eight (8) months. The chancellor may require treatment at a combination of facilities or may designate commitment at an inpatient facility for not more than two (2) months and an outpatient facility for not more than six (6) months, subject to institutional earlier release.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-32-7 Earlier hearing for defendant who could flee jurisdiction or cause physical harm; interim commitment.

Upon allegation in the affidavit and upon clear and convincing proof that the defendant is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or both, to the extent that if the defendant is served with process he will, in all likelihood, flee the jurisdiction of the court or physically harm himself or others, then the chancellor may, in his discretion, set the matter for hearing not more than five (5) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, from the filing of the affidavit, and order the defendant committed and confined, without notice, until the hearing, to a chemical dependency unit, alcohol and drug unit, outpatient house or any other private facility for the treatment of chemically dependent persons.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-32-9 Appeal of commitment decision.

Any person who shall be ordered to be committed to a private treatment facility as provided in this chapter, and who shall feel aggrieved at such decision, may appeal therefrom to the supreme court of this state by giving notice thereof in the manner provided by law and by furnishing a good and sufficient bond in an amount to be fixed by the chancellor, and to be approved by the clerk of said court, such bond to be conditioned to pay all costs of the proceedings and the appeal, and that said person will appear to abide the decision of the court on such appeal. On such appeal, the record shall be made and prepared as in other cases, and all of the provisions of the general law shall apply thereto except that it shall be necessary that the proper notice be given and the requisite bond furnished within five (5) days from the date of the final determination of the chancellor.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-32-11 Assistance of county sheriff in confining and transporting defendant.

The chancellor may order assistance by the sheriff of the county, or any other county in confining and transporting the defendant to the facility, at the expense of the committing county.