Mental

Jury Sat, Witnesses Called in First Day of Lawsuit Involving State Treasurer’s Office

Attorneys began questioning witnesses Monday in a defamation lawsuit involving an e-mail the state treasurer’s Chief of Staff Jim Harris sent out and released to KATV, as well as whether the e-mail at the center of the defamation suit led to Treasurer Dennis Milligan firing former employee David Singer. Singer is suing Jim Harris, alleging “slanderous and defamatory remarks” in regard to …


Family of Man Who Died at Mental Health Facility Files Federal Lawsuit

Family members of a Milwaukee man who died at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex in Wauwatosa four years ago have filed a federal lawsuit. The Milwaukee County district attorney rules that the death of a patient at the county mental health complex was not criminal. Brandon Johnson died at the facility in October 2012.


Lawsuit Against Bridgewater State Hospital Can Move Forward

A Massachusetts judge has ruled that a lawsuit filed against the state over concerns regarding treatment at Bridgewater State Hospital may move forward. The suit alleges that state officials discriminate against the most severely mentally ill men by sending them to a facility run by the Department of Correction, not the Department of Mental Health. Attorney General Maura Healy argued that the …


Judge Says Bridgewater State Hospital Lawsuit Should Move Forward

A Superior Court judge has allowed a lawsuit against the state to proceed on grounds that conditions at troubled Bridgewater State Hospital may violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, a ruling that underscores the controversial use of seclusion and restraints at the facility. The lawsuit, filed by the families of three former Bridgewater patients, claims that officials discriminate …


Illinois Prisons Chief to Lead Mental Health Overhaul

Illinois’ top corrections official says an overhaul has begun of prison mental health programs following a settlement in a class-action lawsuit. Illinois Department of Corrections Director John Baldwin tells The (Bloomington) Pantagraph (http://bit.ly/1XK6Fgi) he wants the state to be a national model. Baldwin says Gov.


How ‘America’s Toughest Sheriff’ Treats Mentally Ill Prisoners

On February 21, 2015, a man was booked into the Maricopa County Jail, a sprawling complex in Phoenix where the dusty Arizona landscape is interrupted by the occasional palm tree. We’ll call him by his initials: JP. According to JP’s booking report, he was experiencing auditory hallucinations during his intake, and acting “bizarre,” like he was high or drunk.