Opinion ID: 4548622
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: [¶23] Lastly, M. argues that the evidence at the hearing was not sufficient for the court to make the statutorily-required findings for an involuntary commitment. See 34-B M.R.S. § 3864(6)(A). [¶24] “When the Superior Court acts as an intermediate appellate tribunal, we directly review the judgment of the District Court to determine whether that decision contains any error of law that affects the validity of the judgment.” In re Christopher H., 2011 ME 13, ¶ 6, 12 A.3d 64 (alteration omitted) (quotation marks omitted). Additionally, even if M. had not been given several opportunities to supplement the record, she 5 would still bear the burden on appeal of showing that she suffered prejudice from the lack of a complete transcript. See State v. Milliken, 2010 ME 1, ¶ 15, 985 A.2d 1152. Because the Rule 5(d) statement does not clarify what was said in the indiscernible portions of the audio recording, and because the record before us contains sufficient evidence to support the court’s findings and conclusions, see infra ¶¶ 23-33, we also conclude that M. has not been prejudiced by the absence of a complete transcript. 13 [¶25] The District Court may order a person’s involuntary commitment upon making the findings required by subsection 3864(6). See 34-B M.R.S. § 3864(7). Title 34-B M.R.S. § 3864(6)(A) provides, The District Court shall so state in the record, if it finds upon completion of the hearing and consideration of the record: (1) Clear and convincing evidence that the person is mentally ill and that the person’s recent actions and behavior demonstrate that the person’s illness poses a likelihood of serious harm; (1-A) That adequate community resources for care and treatment of the person’s mental illness are unavailable; (2) That inpatient hospitalization is the best available means for treatment of the patient; and (3) That it is satisfied with the individual treatment plan offered by the psychiatric hospital to which the applicant seeks the patient’s involuntary commitment. [¶26] To issue an order of involuntary commitment, the court must find all these facts by clear and convincing evidence. See In re Henry B., 2017 ME 72, ¶ 19, 159 A.3d 824. Clear and convincing evidence exists where “the court could reasonably have been persuaded that the required factual findings were proved to be highly probable.” In re Child of Sherri Y., 2019 ME 162, ¶ 5, 221 A.3d 120 (quotation marks omitted). When the court makes findings pursuant to the standard of clear and convincing evidence, we will “uphold the 14 findings so long as any competent record evidence supports them.” In re Child of Jessica C., 2020 ME 63, ¶ 6, --- A.3d ---.
[¶27] The court supportably found that M. suffers from a mental illness, and M. does not suggest otherwise. She argues instead that the record contains no evidence from which the court could have found that M.’s “recent actions and behavior demonstrate that [her] illness poses a likelihood of serious harm.” 34-B M.R.S. § 3864(6)(A)(1). [¶28] As used in section 3864, a “likelihood of serious harm” means A. A substantial risk of physical harm to the person as manifested by recent threats of, or attempts at, suicide or serious self-inflicted harm; B. A substantial risk of physical harm to other persons as manifested by recent homicidal or violent behavior or by recent conduct placing others in reasonable fear of serious physical harm; [or] C. A reasonable certainty that the person will suffer severe physical or mental harm as manifested by recent behavior demonstrating an inability to avoid risk or to protect the person adequately from impairment or injury. Id. § 3801(4-A). [¶29] At the conclusion of the hearing, the court found, with support in the record, that M.’s recent hostile and confrontational behavior is caused by 15 her mental illness and puts her at risk of harm because she is likely to provoke others to react violently towards her. In her brief, M. asserts that the court did not find “that [her] mental illness posed a risk of harm to herself or to others, but rather that others’ reactions to her behavior might cause confrontation.” To the contrary, the court’s finding is sufficient to support a determination that M. is “reasonabl[y] certain[] [to] suffer severe physical . . . harm” because of her “inability to avoid risk.” Id. § 3801(4-A)(C). [¶30] Moreover, we will infer from the record any findings necessary to support the judgment because M. did not file a motion for further findings pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 52(b). See McLean v. Robertson, 2020 ME 15, ¶ 11, 225 A.3d 410. Despite the indiscernible words and phrases in the audio recording, the evidentiary record amply supports findings that M. (1) has made recent threats of suicide, see 34-B M.R.S. § 3801(4-A)(A), and (2) poses a substantial risk of physical harm to others based on her recent violent behavior while receiving treatment, see id. § 3801(4-A)(B). The court’s finding that M.’s mental illness poses a likelihood of serious harm is supported by competent record evidence. See id. § 3864(6)(A)(1). 16 2. Unavailability of Adequate Community Resources and Inpatient Hospitalization as the Best Means of Treatment [¶31] The record also supports the court’s findings that, at the time of the hearing, there were no adequate community resources for M.’s treatment and that inpatient hospitalization was the best available means for M.’s treatment.6 See id. § 3864(6)(A)(1-A)-(2). M.’s psychiatric examiner testified that M.’s aggression toward others made her “unsafe in the regular community” and that, based on her recent behavior, it would be “very difficult to imagine outpatient treatment right now.” Similarly, M.’s physician testified that “[Penobscot Bay] [does not] have the capacity to help [M.] based on her behavior over the last two weeks.” M. was refusing to take her prescribed medications or was taking them in a dangerous manner, and both the examiner and the physician “agreed that [M.] needed to be transferred to a state hospital in order to receive medications involuntarily.” This evidence supports the court’s findings that there were no adequate community resources for M.’s care and treatment and that involuntary hospitalization was the best available means for M.’s treatment. See id. Although these are separate findings pursuant to 34-B M.R.S. § 3864(6)(A)(1-A)-(2) (2020), the 6 evidence that supports the former finding also supports the latter finding, and vice versa. 17 3. Individual Treatment Plan [¶32] Finally, 34-B M.R.S. § 3864(6)(A)(3) required the Department to show that it had a satisfactory individual treatment plan for M. The record makes clear that the largest obstacle to M.’s treatment was her own behavior, especially her refusal to take medications voluntarily and safely. M.’s physician testified that M. was refusing to take medication or taking her medication inconsistently and that M. could suffer from depression and become suicidal, as she was prior to being admitted to Penobscot Bay, if she did not take her medication as prescribed. Both expert witnesses testified that involuntary administration of M.’s medication was necessary to ensure her successful treatment. The court did not err in determining that admitting M. to a psychiatric hospital for the involuntary administration of her medication was a satisfactory treatment plan. See id. § 3864(6)(A)(3); In re Kevin C., 2004 ME 76, ¶ 14, 850 A.2d 341 (“[The respondent] had refused to take his medication and meet with his psychiatrist, and without proper medical care he was incapable of protecting himself from harm or caring for himself in a safe manner. The record amply supports the court’s conclusion that it was highly probable that additional hospitalization was required . . . .”). 18 [¶33] Because all of the court’s findings are based on competent record evidence, we conclude that the evidence at the hearing was sufficient to support the court’s decision to order M.’s involuntary hospitalization. See 34-B M.R.S. § 3864(6)-(7); In re Child of Jessica C., 2020 ME 63, ¶ 6, --- A.3d ---. The entry is: Judgment affirmed. David Paris, Esq., Bath, for appellant M. Aaron M. Frey, Attorney General, and Margaret E. Machaiek, Asst. Atty. Gen., Office of the Attorney General, Augusta, for appellee Department of Health and Human Services Knox County Superior Court docket number AP-2019-11 FOR CLERK REFERENCE ONLY