Criminal
Sep. 7, 2010
Mentally Ill Defendants Stuck in Jail
Lawyers who represent defendants deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial are grappling with a backlog that's keeping many of them in jail instead of mental facilities where they could get help.
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Finding him too mentally ill to understand court proceedings, a Marin County Superior Court judge issued an order sending accused robber Van McDuffie to Napa State Hospital for treatment.
Marin County Deputy Public Defender Deborah Lewis felt satisfied that she had served her client and put the case out of her mind.
Six months later, when the case was called for a status...
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