2023 Oregon Revised Statutes › Volume : 04 - Criminal Procedure, Crimes › Chapter 161 - General Provisions › Section 161.371 - Procedures upon commitment of defendant; maximum term of commitment.

(1) The superintendent of a state mental hospital or director of a facility to which the defendant is committed under ORS 161.370 shall cause the defendant to be evaluated within 60 days from the defendant’s delivery into the superintendent’s or director’s custody, for the purpose of determining whether there is a substantial probability that, in the foreseeable future, the defendant will have fitness to proceed. In addition, the superintendent or director shall:
(a) Immediately notify the committing court if the defendant, at any time, gains or regains fitness to proceed or if there is no substantial probability that, within the foreseeable future, the defendant will gain or regain fitness to proceed.
(b) Within 90 days of the defendant’s delivery into the superintendent’s or director’s custody, notify the committing court that:
(A) The defendant has present fitness to proceed;
(B) There is no substantial probability that, in the foreseeable future, the defendant will gain or regain fitness to proceed; or
(C) There is a substantial probability that, in the foreseeable future, the defendant will gain or regain fitness to proceed. If the probability exists, the superintendent or director shall give the court an estimate of the time in which the defendant, with appropriate treatment, is expected to gain or regain fitness to proceed.
(c) Notify the court if court-ordered involuntary medication is necessary for the defendant to gain or regain fitness to proceed and, if appropriate, submit a report to the court under ORS 161.372.
(2)(a) If the superintendent of the state mental hospital or director of the facility to which the defendant is committed determines that there is a substantial probability that, in the foreseeable future, the defendant will gain or regain fitness to proceed, unless the court otherwise orders, the defendant shall remain in the superintendent’s or director’s custody where the defendant shall receive treatment designed for the purpose of enabling the defendant to gain or regain fitness to proceed. In keeping with the notice requirement under subsection (1)(b) of this section, the superintendent or director shall, for the duration of the defendant’s period of commitment, submit a progress report to the committing court, concerning the defendant’s fitness to proceed, at least once every 180 days as measured from the date of the defendant’s delivery into the superintendent’s or director’s custody.
(b) A progress report described in paragraph (a) of this subsection may consist of an update to:
(A) The original examination report conducted under ORS 161.365; or
(B) An evaluation conducted under subsection (1) of this section, if the defendant did not receive an examination under ORS 161.365.
(3)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, if the most serious offense in the charging instrument is a felony, and the superintendent of the state mental hospital or director of the facility to which the defendant is committed determines that a hospital level of care is no longer necessary due to present public safety concerns and the acuity of symptoms of the defendant’s qualifying mental disorder, the superintendent or director may file notice of the determination with the court. Upon receipt of the notice, the court shall order that a community mental health program director or the director’s designee, within five judicial days:
(A) Consult with the defendant and with any local entity that would be responsible for providing community restoration services, if the defendant were to be released in the community, to determine whether community restoration services are present and available in the community; and
(B) Provide the court and the parties with recommendations from the consultation.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, if the most serious offense in the charging instrument is a felony, and the community mental health program director determines that community restoration services that would mitigate any risk posed by the defendant are present and available in the community, the community mental health program director may file notice of the determination with the court. Upon receipt of the notice, the court shall order that the superintendent of the state mental hospital or director of the facility to which the defendant is committed, within five judicial days:
(A) Evaluate the defendant to determine whether a hospital level of care is no longer necessary due to present public safety concerns, or no longer necessary due to the acuity of symptoms of the defendant’s qualifying mental disorder; and
(B) Provide the court and the parties with recommendations from the evaluation.
(c) Within 10 judicial days of receiving the recommendations described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection, the court shall hold a hearing to determine an appropriate action in accordance with ORS 161.370 (2)(c) as follows:
(A) If, after consideration of the factors and possible actions described in ORS 161.370 (2)(c) and any recommendations received under paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection, the court determines that a hospital level of care is necessary due to public safety concerns or the acuity of symptoms of the defendant’s qualifying mental disorder, and that based on the consultation or evaluation described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection, any information provided by community-based mental health providers or any other sources, primary and secondary release criteria as defined in ORS 135.230, and any other information the court finds to be trustworthy and reliable, the appropriate community restoration services are not present and available in the community, the court may continue the commitment of the defendant.
(B) If the court does not make the determination described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the court shall terminate the commitment and shall set a review hearing seven days from the date of the commitment termination for any defendant remaining in custody. At the review hearing, the court shall consider all relevant information, determine an appropriate action in the case as described in ORS 161.370 (2)(c) and enter an order in accordance with the defendant’s constitutional rights to due process.
(4)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, if the most serious offense in the charging instrument is a misdemeanor, and the superintendent of the state mental hospital or director of the facility to which the defendant is committed determines that the defendant no longer needs a hospital level of care due to the acuity of symptoms of the defendant’s qualifying mental disorder or there are not present public safety concerns, the superintendent or director shall file notice of the determination with the court, along with recommendations regarding the necessary community restoration services that would mitigate any risk presented by the defendant. Upon receipt of the notice, the court shall order that a community mental health program director or the director’s designee, within five judicial days:
(A) Consult with the defendant and with any local entity that would be responsible for providing community restoration services, if the defendant were to be released in the community, to determine whether appropriate community restoration services are present and available in the community; and
(B) Provide the court and the parties with recommendations from the consultation.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, if the most serious offense in the charging instrument is a misdemeanor, and the community mental health program director determines that the community restoration services that would mitigate any risk posed by the defendant are present and available in the community, the community mental health program director may file notice of the determination with the court. Upon receipt of the notice, the court shall order that the superintendent of the state mental hospital or director of the facility to which the defendant is committed, within five judicial days:
(A) Evaluate the defendant to determine whether a hospital level of care is no longer necessary due to present public safety concerns, or no longer necessary due to the acuity of symptoms of the defendant’s qualifying mental disorder; and
(B) Provide the court and the parties with recommendations from the evaluation.
(c) Within 10 judicial days of receiving the recommendations described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection, the court shall hold a hearing to determine an appropriate action in accordance with ORS 161.370 (2)(c) as follows:
(A) After consideration of the factors and possible actions described in ORS 161.370 (2)(c), the consultation or evaluation and any recommendations described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection, and any other information the court finds to be trustworthy and reliable, the court may continue the commitment of the defendant if the court makes written findings that a hospital level of care is necessary due to public safety concerns and the acuity of symptoms of the defendant’s qualifying mental disorder, and that appropriate community restoration services are not present and available in the community.
(B) If the court does not make the findings described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the court shall terminate the commitment and shall set a review hearing seven days from the date of the commitment termination for any defendant remaining in custody. At the review hearing, the court shall consider all relevant information, determine an appropriate action in the case as described in ORS 161.370 (2)(c) and enter an order in accordance with the defendant’s constitutional rights to due process.
(5)(a) If a defendant remains committed under this section, the court shall determine within a reasonable period of time whether there is a substantial probability that, in the foreseeable future, the defendant will gain or regain fitness to proceed. However, regardless of the number of charges with which the defendant is accused, in no event shall the defendant be committed for longer than whichever of the following, measured from the defendant’s initial custody date, is shorter:
(A) Three years; or
(B) A period of time equal to the maximum sentence the court could have imposed if the defendant had been convicted.
(b) For purposes of calculating the maximum period of commitment described in paragraph (a) of this subsection:
(A) The initial custody date is the date on which the defendant is first committed under this section on any charge alleged in the accusatory instrument; and
(B) The defendant shall be given credit against each charge alleged in the accusatory instrument:
(i) For each day the defendant is committed under this section, whether the days are consecutive or are interrupted by a period of time during which the defendant has gained or regained fitness to proceed; and
(ii) Unless the defendant is charged on any charging instrument with aggravated murder or a crime listed in ORS 137.700 (2), for each day the defendant is held in jail before and after the date the defendant is first committed, whether the days are consecutive or are interrupted by a period of time during which the defendant lacks fitness to proceed.
(c) The superintendent of the state mental hospital or director of the facility to which the defendant is committed shall notify the committing court of the defendant’s impending discharge 30 days before the date on which the superintendent or director is required to discharge the defendant under this subsection.
(6)(a) All notices required under this section shall be filed with the court and may be filed electronically. The clerk of the court shall cause copies of the notices to be delivered to both the district attorney and the counsel for the defendant.
(b) When the committing court receives a notice from the superintendent or director under subsection (1) of this section concerning the defendant’s progress or lack thereof, or under subsection (5) of this section concerning the defendant’s impending discharge, the committing court shall determine, after a hearing if a hearing is requested, whether the defendant presently has fitness to proceed.
(7) If at any time the court determines that the defendant lacks fitness to proceed, the court shall further determine whether the defendant is entitled to discharge under subsection (5) of this section. If the court determines that the defendant is entitled to discharge under subsection (5) of this section, the court shall dismiss, without prejudice and in accordance with ORS 161.367 (6), all charges against the defendant and:
(a) Order that the defendant be discharged; or
(b) Initiate commitment proceedings under ORS 426.070, 426.701 or 427.235 to 427.292. [2021 c.395 §5; 2023 c.227 §3]