Court Opinion

ID: 9530498
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:00:21.652686+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:08.066331
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE MYERSCOUGH, specially concurring in part and dissenting in part: I respectfully specially concur in part and dissent in part. I concur in all but the majority’s finding that lack of timely notice requires reversal. First, the petition was filed and respondent received the petition on January 25, 2005. The order was entered January 26, 2005, setting the hearing for January 28, 2005, because Sangamon County sets all of the mental-health hearings on Friday (absent a holiday). The statute mandates a hearing on a petition for involuntary medications within seven days of the filing of the petition. 405 ILCS 5/2 — • 107.l(a — 5)(2) (West 2004). In this case, not excluding weekends or holidays from the calculation, the hearing had to be held Friday, January 28, 2005. The next mental-health call fell on Friday, February 4, 2005. If holidays and weekends are excluded from the calculation, the hearing would have had to be held on Thursday, February 3, 2005. However, of note, the Code in 19 locations explains holidays and weekends are not to be included in the computation of time. The seven-day hearing and three-day notice requirements for involuntary medication do not include that language. 405 ILCS 5/2 — 107.1 (West 2004). The legislature has clearly defined the method of counting elsewhere in this Code. Presumptively, then, the three- and seven-day requirements here do not include holidays and weekends, which means the hearing had to be held Tuesday, February 1, 2005, using the rule set forth in the Statute on Statutes (5 ILCS 70/1.11 (West 2004)). “The Illinois Supreme Court has followed the general rule in counting days in a statutory provision for notice that Sundays and holidays intervening between the day of posting and the date stated for the commencement of proceedings should be counted. [Citations.] Sundays and holidays will be excluded from the statutory computation only when the final day for the doing of an action falls on such days. [Citations.] If the legislature had intended to provide 10 working days within which to file complaints before the Board of Appeals or had intended to exclude weekends or holidays in light of the specific provisions of section 1.11, it would have specifically so provided.” In re Application of the County Treasurer & ex officio County Collector, 26 Ill. App. 3d 753, 764-65, 326 N.E.2d 120, 128 (1975). To comply with this seven-day deadline, the court had to violate the three-day notice requirement. Otherwise, the court would be forced to conduct near daily hearings rather than Friday hearings at the three mental-health facilities in Sangamon County, to comply with the three-day notice and seven-day hearing requirements. This ruling will force the court to conduct the hearings at the courthouse — to the detriment of patients and cost to the facilities. The majority recognizes short notice alone is insufficient to constitute prejudice per se. Moreover, the three-day service does not have to be met if the respondent is aware of the proceedings and given ample opportunity to respond to the arguments made. In re C.E., 161 Ill. 2d 200, 226-27, 641 N.E.2d 345, 357 (1994). Respondent was not prejudiced by the short notice. Counsel was well aware hearings were held on Fridays as demonstrated by the record. So was respondent. Further, a short preparation time is contemplated by statute. Additionally, counsel did not request a continuance to prepare. The majority apparently holds respondent received insufficient notice and was prejudiced because (1) respondent had not spoken to his attorney by telephone, (2) the record does not reflect respondent had an opportunity to consult with his attorney prior to the hearing, and (3) the trial court denied respondent’s request to produce nurses as witnesses. The trial court actually showed great patience with respondent. While respondent certainly ranted about counsel at the hearing, these rants were observed by the court and respondent’s own counsel. Respondent’s complaints about counsel were heard by the court, and respondent was allowed to participate in his own defense. Respondent was involuntarily committed because he suffered from hallucinations and a mental illness. We should not reverse on the lack of notice as the trial court was the trier of fact who weighed respondent’s credibility on the quality of his representation and the need for additional witnesses. This court gives great deference to the trial court’s findings because the trial court had the opportunity to see the witnesses, hear their testimony, determine their credibility, and weigh the evidence. In re Carmody, 274 Ill. App. 3d 46, 50, 653 N.E.2d 977, 981 (1995). The trial court did not abuse its discretion here, and respondent has not shown how he was prejudiced by the trial court’s actions. Respondent does not even allege what additional evidence he would have presented or to what the nurses would have testified. Moreover, the absence of evidence in the record that respondent was unable to consult with his attorney prior to the hearing is due to the fault of respondent and to be disregarded, as it is the appellant’s job to supply us with a complete record. When the record on appeal is inadequate, “the reviewing court will presume that the order entered by the trial court was in conformity with the law and had a sufficient factual basis.” Midstate Siding & Window Co. v. Rogers, 204 Ill. 2d 314, 319, 789 N.E.2d 1248, 1252 (2003). It is not the appellate court’s obligation to hypothesize a deprivation of rights based upon an absence of evidence in the record. For these reasons, I would find respondent had sufficient notice of the hearing.