Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-04-02067/USCOURTS-ca8-04-02067-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Charlie Cann
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1The Honorable Richard E. Dorr, United States District Judge for the Western

District of Missouri, adopting the report and recommendations of the Honorable

James C. England, United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of

Missouri.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 04-2067

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Western District of Missouri.

Charlie Cann, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: September 2, 2004

Filed: September 9, 2004 

___________

Before MURPHY, FAGG, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Charlie Cann was committed under 18 U.S.C. § 4246 in 1996, and has been

confined since then at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (MCFP)

in Springfield, Missouri. He appeals the district court’s1

 order, entered after a

hearing, declining to change his status. For the reasons that follow, we affirm. 

Appellate Case: 04-2067 Page: 1 Date Filed: 09/09/2004 Entry ID: 1809001 
-2-

Section 4246 provides for the involuntary hospitalization of a person who, after

a hearing, is found by clear and convincing evidence to be suffering from a mental

defect as a result of which his release would create a substantial risk of harm to the

person or property of another, where suitable arrangements for state custody are

unavailable. A person thus committed can, through counsel or a legal guardian, move

for a hearing to determine whether he should be discharged. See 18 U.S.C.

§ 4247(h). Following careful review, we conclude that the district court’s section

4246 finding of ongoing dangerousness was not clearly erroneous, see United States

v. Steil, 916 F.2d 485, 488 (8th Cir. 1990) (standard of review), because the mental

health professionals here--both those on staff at MCFP and the independent clinical

psychologist who interviewed Cann at his counsel’s behest--unanimously believed

Cann’s release would be dangerous, given his unrelenting delusions and related

threats of violent behavior, with medication never having resulted in a complete

remission of symptoms, see United States v. S.A., 129 F.3d 995, 1000-01 (8th Cir.

1997) (noting history of violence and patient’s reluctance to take medication

voluntarily, in affirming § 4246 commitment), cert. denied, 523 U.S. 1011 (1998);

Steil, 916 F.2d at 488 (noting five mental health professionals found patient to be

mentally ill and dangerous, and there was no contrary medical opinion). We observe

that the government is under an ongoing obligation to prepare annual reports

concerning Cann’s mental condition and to exert reasonable efforts to place Cann in

a suitable state facility. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 4246(d), 4247(e). In addition, there is

nothing preventing Cann from continuing to attempt to convince his doctors to

discontinue his medication. 

Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is affirmed, and counsel’s

motion to withdraw is granted.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 04-2067 Page: 2 Date Filed: 09/09/2004 Entry ID: 1809001