Court Opinion

ID: 9583976
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:43:27.431968+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:06:17.782503
License: Public Domain

*433Judge Webb
dissenting.
I dissent from the majority. Dr. Knoelke testified that he had diagnosed the respondent as having a manic depressive illness, manic phase. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (1971) defines a manic depressive as exhibiting features similar to manic depressive psychosis which it defines as “a major mental disorder manifested either by mania or by psychotic depression or by alternating mania and depression.” I can only conclude from this that the respondent was suffering from a serious mental disease.
The majority holds that neither the facts recorded nor the record supports a conclusion of dangerousness to self. I believe the facts recorded which are supported by the evidence as to the respondent’s major mental disorder, her behavior in not turning off the stove which resulted in burning the utensils and formica top, her talking to the walls, her being extremely forgetful, and her appearance of being out of touch with her real surroundings support a conclusion that the respondent was not able “to exercise self-control, judgment and discretion in the conduct of [her] daily responsibilities and social relations.” I also believe the facts recorded support a conclusion that the respondent’s behavior was “grossly inappropriate to the situation.” This creates a prima facie inference that the respondent was not able to care for herself which satisfies the requirement that there was a probability of serious physical debilitation to the respondent if she had not been treated.
I would hold that there was sufficient evidence from which the district court could find facts supporting a conclusion that the respondent was mentally ill and dangerous to herself and the district court should not be reversed for so finding.
I vote to affirm.