Trial Lawyers Relentlessly Pursuing Justice
Los Angeles Mental Health Court Attorneys
It is the ultimate goal of the mental health courts to provide the criminally accused who suffer from mental illness with fair and just treatment and representation. This often means trying cases somewhat differently than a normal criminal offense. Instead, pleas of not guilty by insanity and commitment to a treatment vs. jail are commonly practiced. If you are considering taking your case to one of Southern California’s mental health courts, then you should not wait to contact an attorney from our firm. The earlier we are able to intervene in your case, the better able we will be to support and defend you against the allegations that have been made in your name.
It is important to keep in mind that one’s participation in the mental health courts is completely voluntary. Consent must be given by the defendant in order to participate in the program. However, it can be difficult to rely 100% on your decision making abilities when you suffer from any kind of mental illness or you are plagued by bouts of insanity. Therefore, a lawyer from Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP could help you maintain the rights you are legally entitled to under the statues provided to mental health disability patients.
Learn more about how the mental health court systems operate. Contact a Southern California mental health lawyer from the firm today.
The California Mental Health Court System
Criminal defense and mental health may be separate legal issues for some, but for others they are entirely intertwined with one another. When a person meets the criteria listed in the definition of insanity, then any criminal offense for which they are charged could be due in large part to their mental incapacitation. Therefore, sanity hearings and mental health courts have been established in order to provide mentally ill persons with judicial supervision as well as mental health treatment within the community.
The first mental health court was implemented in California in 1999, and since then several have been introduced in the state, including Department 95, which can be found in Los Angeles. If you are in or around the Los Angeles area and you need to address the legal issues of a mental/ criminal offense, then you will likely find yourself in the mental health department of the Superior Court of Los Angeles, also known as Department 95. Daily proceedings are held within the department in which a Supervising Judge for Mental Health will preside over issues of commitment extensions, sanity hearings, and mentally disordered offenders.
Whether you need your petition instated or extended, a Southern California mental health attorney from our firm can help you do so at one of these county courts or at any of the state’s other mental health courts.
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Navigating the legal system can be complicated. To maximize your chance of securing the best outcome possible, it is essential that you reach out to us without delay. When you hire our firm, we will work quickly to gather every detail, examine every piece of evidence, and build a strong case.
We will not hesitate to go toe-to-toe in trial with an insurance company, corporation, prosecutor, or law enforcement officer. Regardless of the type of situation you are involved in, rest assured that we will do everything we can to protect your rights and help you secure the most favorable result possible.
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For this reason, we are available to assist our clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure any questions or concerns you may have will be addressed immediately. With around the clock service and multiple office locations, clients throughout Southern California can be confident knowing our counsel is available to them whenever and wherever they need it.
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