Fla. Stat. § 916.15 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 916 / Part II / Section 916.15
916.15 Involuntary commitment of defendant adjudicated not guilty by reason of insanity.
Status: in_force

(1) The determination of whether a defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity shall be determined in accordance with Rule 3.217, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure.

(2) A defendant who is acquitted of criminal charges because of a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity may be involuntarily committed pursuant to such finding if the defendant has a mental illness and, because of the illness, is manifestly dangerous to himself or herself or others.

(3)(a) Every defendant acquitted of criminal charges by reason of insanity and found to meet the criteria for involuntary commitment may be committed and treated in accordance with the provisions of this section and the applicable Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure. (b) Immediately after receipt of a completed copy of the court commitment order containing all documentation required by the applicable Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, the department shall request all medical information relating to the defendant from the jail. The jail shall provide the department with all medical information relating to the defendant within 3 business days after receipt of the department’s request or at the time the defendant enters the physical custody of the department, whichever is earlier. (c) The department shall admit a defendant so adjudicated to an appropriate facility or program for treatment and shall retain and treat such defendant. No later than 6 months after the date of admission, prior to the end of any period of extended commitment, or at any time that the administrator or his or her designee determines that the defendant no longer meets the criteria for continued commitment placement, the administrator or designee shall file a report with the court pursuant to the applicable Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure.

(4) In all proceedings under this section, both the defendant and the state shall have the right to a hearing before the committing court. Evidence at such hearing may be presented by the hospital administrator or the administrator’s designee as well as by the state and the defendant. The defendant shall have the right to counsel at any such hearing. In the event that a defendant is determined to be indigent pursuant to s. 27.52, the public defender shall represent the defendant. The parties shall have access to the defendant’s records at the treating facilities and may interview or depose personnel who have had contact with the defendant at the treating facilities.

(5) The commitment hearing shall be held within 30 days after the court receives notification that the defendant no longer meets the criteria for continued commitment. The defendant must be transported to the committing court’s jurisdiction for the hearing. Each defendant returning to a jail shall continue to receive the same psychotropic medications as prescribed by the facility physician at the time of discharge from a forensic or civil facility, unless the jail physician determines there is a compelling medical reason to change or discontinue the medication for the health and safety of the defendant. If the jail physician changes or discontinues the medication and the defendant is later determined at the competency hearing to be incompetent to stand trial and is recommitted to the department, the jail physician may not change or discontinue the defendant’s prescribed psychotropic medication upon the defendant’s next discharge from the forensic or civil facility.

History: s. 1, ch. 80-75; s. 36, ch. 85-167; s. 1533, ch. 97-102; s. 19, ch. 98-92; s. 121, ch. 2003-402; s. 14, ch. 2006-195; s. 4, ch. 2016-135; s. 14, ch. 2020-39.