Opinion ID: 624293
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Basis for the District Court's Authority

Text: In No. 11-10504, Loughner appeals the district court's denial of his motion challenging FMC-Springfield's September 15 decision authorizing involuntary medication. [7] The district court's ruling, from which Loughner appealed, was a pretrial order. As the court overseeing Loughner's criminal prosecution, the district court has the authority to review Loughner's motion to enjoin forcible medication. See 18 U.S.C. § 3231. The district court's order embodied legal conclusions related to [FMC-Springfield]'s administrative efforts to medicate [Loughner]; these efforts grew out of [Loughner]'s provisional commitment; and that provisional commitment took place pursuant to an earlier [district court] order seeking a medical determination about [Loughner]'s future competence to stand trial. Sell, 539 U.S. at 175, 123 S.Ct. 2174 (citing Riggins, 504 U.S. 127, 112 S.Ct. 1810; Stack v. Boyle, 342 U.S. 1, 6-7, 72 S.Ct. 1, 96 L.Ed. 3 (1951)). The district court's authority to review pretrial orders, therefore, gave it authority to review the involuntary medication of Loughner. See Riggins, 504 U.S. 127, 112 S.Ct. 1810 (reviewing trial court's denial of defendant's motion to suspend administration of medication during trial); United States v. Weston, 206 F.3d 9 (D.C.Cir.2000) (reviewing district court's order upholding BOP's decision to medicate involuntarily Weston); Morgan, 193 F.3d at 257-59 (reviewing district court's order authorizing forcible medication pursuant to the administrative determination after the district court rejected Morgan's motion to enjoin). In No. 11-10504, Loughner appeals from the district court's order extending his commitment to FMC-Springfield. The district court has the authority to extend Loughner's commitment pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4241(d)(2).