Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Kenneth EPPS, Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2004-04-26
Citations: 95 F. App'x 202
Docket Number: No. 03-3048
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Kenneth EPPS, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 95
Pages: 202–202

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Kenneth EPPS, Appellant.
No. 03-3048.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.
Submitted April 15, 2004.
Decided April 26, 2004.
Perry F. Sekus, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Minneapolis, MN, for Petitioner-Appellee.
Kenneth Epps, U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Rochester, MN, pro se.
Katherine Menendez, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Minneapolis, MN, for Respondent-Appellant.
Before BYE, McMILLIAN, and RILEY, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Federal inmate Kenneth Epps appeals from the final judgment entered in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota committing him to the custody of the Attorney General under 18 U.S.C. § 4245, which provides for the involuntary hospitalization of an imprisoned person suffering from a mental disease or defect, until treatment is no longer needed or the expiration of the inmate's sentence, whichever occurs first. After a hearing, the district court found the government had met its burden of establishing by a preponderance of evidence that Epps suffers from a mental illness requiring treatment in a suitable facility, such as the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Rochester, Minnesota. See 18 U.S.C. § 4245(d) (burden of proof). Contrary to Epps's argument on appeal, we conclude the district court's finding was not clearly erroneous. See United States v. Eckerson, 299 F.3d 913, 914-15 (8th Cir.2002) (per curiam) (standard of review). Specifically, the government offered testimony of FMC staff psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Shine, who saw Epps regularly over a considerable period of time. Dr. Shine's opinion concerning Epps's diagnosis and need for treatment, expressed at the hearing and in a written psychological evaluation, supported the district court's order.
Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court. Counsel's motion to withdraw is granted.
. The Honorable David S. Doty, United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota, adopting the report and recommendations of the Honorable Susan Richard Nelson, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Minnesota.