Opinion ID: 2062379
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Arbitrariness and Irrationality.

Text: Khiem also contends that the hospital's treatment decision must fail the test of rationality and lack of arbitrariness because the decision by the hospital's medical personnel was not made exclusively in the patient's medical interest. In Harper, however, the court made it clear beyond peradventure that the determination whether to medicate does not turn exclusively on the patient's interests, but also requires consideration of legitimate state interests. Id., 494 U.S. at 223-26, 110 S.Ct. at 1037-39. The government's law enforcement interest in this case is a significant one, see Part II D, supra, and we hold that it was proper to consider it. This is not a case in which a court authorized the hospital to perform complex brain surgery on an individual charged with disorderly conduct. Rather, the hospital has recommended psychotropic treatment of limited duration, which is to be closely monitored, to permit a determination through the judicial process as to whether Khiem committed two premeditated murders. The judge heard medical testimony which, if credited by him, established that the proposed treatment was consistent with sound medical practice. His decision to follow the hospital's recommendation was neither arbitrary nor irrational.