Supreme Court says mental patient’s rights weren’t violated

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that mental patient John A. Wood's due process right wasn't violated when he was forced to take medication without his consent.

The state court affirmed a ruling by a circuit court which said Wood could be given the psychotropic medicine against his will.

Wood was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect when he was accused of beating his stepfather to death nearly 32 years ago. He has lived at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, mostly, ever since.

The vote was 5-2, with the dissenting justices arguing a patient needed to pose an immediate threat before medication should be forced on him. Wood didn't offer that threat, they said.

Tags: courts and crime, wisconsin, politics