NRS 178.425 Procedure on finding defendant incompetent; order for involuntary administration of psychiatric medication.

799 words·~4 min read·/nv/chapter-178-general-provisions/178-425

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

1. If the court finds the defendant incompetent, and dangerous to himself or herself or to society and that commitment is required for a determination of the defendant’s ability to receive treatment to competency and to attain competence, the judge shall order the sheriff to convey the defendant forthwith, together with a copy of the complaint, the commitment and the physicians’ certificate, if any, into the custody of the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee for detention and treatment at a division facility that is secure, a facility for the treatment of defendants to competency established within a county jail or detention facility pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 178.426 or another location to receive services through a program established pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 178.426 , as determined after a clinical review conducted pursuant to subsection 2.

If the treating psychiatrist of the defendant determines that psychiatric medication is necessary to restore the defendant to competency and the defendant refuses to take such medication voluntarily, the prosecuting attorney may seek an order for the involuntary administration of psychiatric medication to the defendant.

2. After the court orders a defendant into the custody of the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee pursuant to subsection 1, the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee shall perform a clinical review of the defendant to determine whether the defendant would most appropriately be placed in a division facility that is secure, a facility for the treatment of defendants to competency established within a county jail or detention facility pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 178.426 or another location to receive services through a program established pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 178.426 .

An organization that enters into a contract with the Administrator pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 178.426 may not perform such a review.

3. A defendant committed into the custody of the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee must be held in such custody until a court orders the defendant’s release or until the defendant is returned for trial or judgment as provided in NRS 178.450 , 178.455 and 178.460 .

4. If the court finds the defendant incompetent but not dangerous to himself or herself or to society, and finds that commitment is not required for a determination of the defendant’s ability to receive treatment to competency and to attain competence, the judge shall order the defendant to report to the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee as an outpatient for treatment, if it might be beneficial, and for a determination of the defendant’s ability to receive treatment to competency and to attain competence. The court may require the defendant to give bail for any periodic appearances before the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee.

5. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, proceedings against the defendant must be suspended until the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee or, if the defendant is charged with a misdemeanor, the judge finds the defendant capable of standing trial or opposing pronouncement of judgment as provided in NRS 178.400 .

6. Whenever the defendant has been found incompetent, with no substantial probability of attaining competency in the foreseeable future, and released from custody or from obligations as an outpatient pursuant to paragraph

(d)of subsection 4 of NRS 178.460 , the proceedings against the defendant which were suspended must be dismissed. No new charge arising out of the same circumstances may be brought except upon application by the prosecuting attorney to the chief judge of the district court, or his or her designee, and with leave of the court where:

(a)The State has a good faith belief, based on articulable facts, that the defendant has attained competency;

(b)The State has a compelling interest in bringing charges again; and

(c)The period, equal to the maximum time allowed by law for commencing a criminal action for the crime with which the defendant was charged, has not lapsed since the date of the alleged offense.

Ê The prosecuting attorney must give notice of an application made pursuant to this subsection to the attorney for the defendant not less than 24 hours before the hearing on the application.

7. If a defendant is found incompetent pursuant to this section, the court shall cause, within 5 business days after the finding, on a form prescribed by the Department of Public Safety, a record of that finding to be transmitted to the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History, along with a statement indicating that the record is being transmitted for inclusion in each appropriate database of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

8. As used in this section, “National Instant Criminal Background Check System” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 179A.062 .