In Matter of J.F., 06ap-1225 (6-21-2007)
In Matter of J.F., 06ap-1225 (6-21-2007)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} In addressing the trial court's forced medication orders, we concluded that the evidence met the requirements of the syllabus ofSteele v. Hamilton Cty. Comm. Health Bd. (2000),
A court may issue an order permitting hospital employees to administer antipsychotic drugs against the wishes of an involuntarily committed mentally ill person if it finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that (1) the patient does not have the capacity to give or withhold informed consent regarding his/her treatment, (2) it is in the patient's best interest to take the medication, i.e., the benefits of the medication outweigh the side effects, and (3) no less intrusive treatment will be as effective in treating the mental illness.
(Emphasis sic.)
{¶ 3} To the extent that our prior opinion suggested that our review of the trial court's forced medication orders was governed by any standard other than that quoted above, we clarify that the foregoing three-prong test is the correct standard under which a court may issue an order permitting hospital employees to administer antipsychotic drugs against the wishes of an involuntarily committed mentally ill person, and it is the standard under which we performed our review of the trial court's forced medication orders in this case. *Page 3
{¶ 4} Our judgment, affirming the trial court's orders authorizing the administration of psychotropic medication to J.F., is unaffected by the clarification made herein.
Application for reconsideration granted; opinion clarified.
*Page 1KLATT and FRENCH, JJ., concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.