Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Jamal LEWIS, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2013-09-16
Citations: 530 F. App'x 602
Docket Number: No. 13-1304
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Jamal LEWIS, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before SMITH, BOWMAN, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 530
Pages: 602–603

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Jamal LEWIS, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 13-1304.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.
Submitted: Sept. 4, 2013.
Filed: Sept. 16, 2013.
Ian A. Lewis, Asst. Fed. Public Defender, Springfield, MO (Raymond C. Conrad, Jr., Fed. Public Defender, Kansas City, MO, on the brief), for appellant.
Jamal Lewis, Springfield, MO, pro se.
Earl W. Brown III, Asst. U.S. Atty., Springfield, MO, for appellee.
Before SMITH, BOWMAN, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Shortly before Jamal Lewis completed the prison term he was serving as a result of his conviction for being a felon in possession, the government filed a petition to determine his mental- status under 18 U.S.C. § 4246. The petition alleged there was reasonable cause to believe that Lewis was suffering from a mental disease or defect as a result of which his release would pose a substantial risk of injury to another or serious damage to the property of another. After a hearing, the District Court committed Lewis to the custody of the Attorney General for hospitalization and treatment of his mental condition in a suitable facility. See United States v. Williams, 299 F.3d 673, 676 (8th Cir.2002) (noting that in order to justify an individual's § 4246 commitment, the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant has a mental disease or defect that would result in a substantial risk of dangerousness to others if he is released). Lewis appeals.
We have reviewed the arguments in Lewis's counseled and pro se briefs, and we conclude that the District Court's findings in support of the commitment order are not clearly erroneous. In relevant part, the evidence showed that mental health experts were of the unanimous opinion that Lewis's unconditional release would present a substantial risk to others because the symptoms of his serious and chronic schizophrenia were controlled only with psychotropic medication that he periodically failed to take. See id. (explaining that a factual finding is clearly erroneous if the reviewing court is left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made).
Accordingly, we affirm. We also grant counsel's motion to withdraw, subject to counsel informing Lewis about procedures for seeking rehearing or filing a pro se petition for certiorari.
. The late 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.