2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 27 - BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (§§ 27-1-101 — 27-94-107) › MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS (§§ 27-65-101 — 27-71-105) › Article 65 - CARE AND TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS (§§ 27-65-101 — 27-65-131) › Section 27-65-113 - Hearing procedures - jurisdiction

(1)
Hearings before the court pursuant to section 27-65-108.5, 27-65-109, or 27-65-110 are conducted in the same manner as other civil proceedings before the court. The burden of proof is on the person or facility seeking to detain the respondent. The court or jury shall determine that the respondent is in need of care and treatment only if the court or jury finds by clear and convincing evidence that the respondent has a mental health disorder and, as a result of the mental health disorder, is a danger to the respondent's self or others or is gravely disabled.
(2)
The court, after consultation with respondent's counsel to obtain counsel's recommendations, may appoint a professional person to examine the respondent for whom short-term treatment or long-term care and treatment is sought and to testify at the hearing before the court as to the results of the professional person's examination. The court-appointed professional person shall act solely in an advisory capacity, and no presumption is attached to the professional person's findings.
(3)
Every respondent subject to an order for short-term treatment or long-term care and treatment must be advised of the respondent's right to appeal the order by the court at the conclusion of any hearing and, as a result, the order may be entered.
(4)
The court in which the petition is filed under section
27-65-106
or the certification is filed pursuant to section
27-65-109
is the court of original jurisdiction and of continuing jurisdiction for any further proceedings pursuant to this article 65. When the convenience of the parties and the ends of justice would be promoted by a change in the court having jurisdiction, the court may order a transfer of the proceeding to another county. Until further order of the transferee court, if any, it is the court of continuing jurisdiction.
(5)
(a)
In the event that a respondent or a person found not guilty by reason of impaired mental condition pursuant to section
16-8-103.5(5)
, or by reason of insanity pursuant to section
16-8-105(4)
or
16-8-105.5
, refuses to accept medication, the court having jurisdiction of the action pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, the court committing the person or defendant to the custody of the department pursuant to section
16-8-103.5(5)
,
16-8-105(4)
, or
16-8-105.5
, or the court of the jurisdiction in which the designated facility treating the respondent or person is located has jurisdiction and venue to accept a petition by a treating physician and to enter an order requiring that the respondent or person accept such treatment or, in the alternative, that the medication be forcibly administered to the respondent or person. The court of the jurisdiction in which the designated facility is located shall not exercise its jurisdiction without the permission of the court that committed the person to the custody of the department. Upon the filing of such a petition, the court shall appoint an attorney, if one has not been appointed, to represent the respondent or person and hear the matter within ten days.
(b)
In any case brought pursuant to subsection (5)(a) of this section in a court for the county in which the treating facility is located, the county where the proceeding was initiated pursuant to subsection (4) of this section or the court committing the person to the custody of the department pursuant to section
16-8-103.5(5)
,
16-8-105(4)
, or
16-8-105.5
shall either reimburse the county in which the proceeding pursuant to this subsection (5) was filed and in which the proceeding was held for the reasonable costs incurred in conducting the proceeding or conduct the proceeding itself using its own personnel and resources, including its own district or county attorney, as the case may be.
(c)
In the case of a defendant who is found incompetent to proceed pursuant to section
16-8.5-103
and who refuses to accept medication, the jurisdiction for the petition for involuntary treatment procedures is as set forth in section
16-8.5-112
.
(6)
All adversarial proceedings pursuant to this article 65, including proceedings to impose a legal disability pursuant to section
27-65-127
, must be conducted by the district attorney of the county where the proceeding is held or by a qualified attorney acting for the district attorney appointed by the district court for that purpose; except that, in any county or in any city and county having a population exceeding fifty thousand persons, the proceedings must be conducted by the county attorney or by a qualified attorney acting for the county attorney appointed by the district court. In any case in which there has been a change of venue to a county other than the county of residence of the respondent or the county in which the certification proceeding was commenced, the county from which the proceeding was transferred shall either reimburse the county to which the proceeding was transferred and in which the proceeding was held for the reasonable costs incurred in conducting the proceeding or conduct the proceeding itself using its own personnel and resources, including its own district or county attorney, as the case may be.
(7)
Upon request of a legal guardian appointed pursuant to article
14
of title
15
, the legal guardian may intervene in any proceeding brought pursuant to this article 65 concerning the legal guardian's ward and, through counsel, may present evidence and represent to the court the views of the legal guardian concerning the appropriate disposition of the case.
(8)
A lay person may submit an affidavit to the court concerning the lay person's relationship to the respondent, how long the lay person has known the respondent, the lay person's physical address, and the lay person's views concerning the appropriate disposition of the respondent's case.
Amended by 2023 Ch. 423,§ 16, eff. 7/1/2024.
Amended by 2023 Ch. 206,§ 38, eff. 5/16/2023.
Amended by 2022 Ch. 451, § 1, eff. 8/10/2022.
L. 2010: Entire article added with relocations, (SB 10 -175), ch. 188, p. 691, § 2, effective April 29.
This section is similar to former § 27-10-113 as it existed prior to 2010.
2023 Ch. 423, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).