In Re Miller ( 1977 )


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  • No. 13718 IN THE SUPREbE COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA IN RE: THE MATTER OF HERBERT MILLER. Appeal from: District Court of the Third Judicial District, Honorable Robert Boyd, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: James Dorr Johnson argued, Warm Springs, Montana Steven Bunch, Helena, Montana For Respondent: Mark P.Sullivan argued, Butte, Montana Nick A. Rotering, Helena, Montana Submitted: November 28, 1977 Decided: ? icu - r 2~. . - DEC 2 2 1977 ~iled: M r . J u s t i c e John Conway Harrison d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e Court. This appeal r e s u l t s from proceedings pursuant t o s e c t i o n 38-1312, R.C.M. 1947. The d i s t r i c t c o u r t , Deer Lodge County, t h e Hon. Robert Boyd p r e s i d i n g , found Herbert M i l l e r t o be s e r i o u s l y mentally ill and ordered an extension of h i s commit- ment period a t Warm Springs S t a t e Hospital f o r s i x a d d i t i o n a l months. M i l l e r was f i r s t committed t o Warm Springs i n 1956. The . reason f o r admission was given a s acharge of homicide. Miller was l a s t committed t o Warm Springs by c o u r t o r d e r on January 9 , 1957. Section 38-1312, R.C.M. 1947, r e q u i r e s t h a t any person who, by reason of a j u d i c i a l decree, was adjudged mentally ill p r i o r t o t h e enactment of T i t l e 38, Chapter 13, s h a l l , within one year following t h e e f f e c t i v e d a t e of t h e a c t be r e l e a s e d , u n l e s s a p e t i t i o n f o r an extended d e t e n t i o n o r d e r i s f i l e d . The required p e t i t i o n was f i l e d by Warm Springs s t a f f psychologist Katherine Gallagher on June 29, 1976. M i l l e r had been under t h e c a r e and supervision of psychologist Gallagher p r i o r t o t h e f i l i n g of t h e p e t i t i o n . The p e t i t i o n was accom- panied by a w r i t t e n r e p o r t and evaluation of h i s mental and physical condition a s required by s e c t i o n 38-1306(6) (now 38- 1306(3), by 1977 amendment), R.C.M. 1947, compiled by psycholo- g i s t Gallagher. Upon a p p l i c a t i o n of counsel f o r M i l l e r , Judge Boyd appointed D r . Ben P e t e r s , a psychia trist from Anaconda, Montana, t o inde- pendently e v a l u a t e him. The hearing pursuant t o t h e p e t i t i o n was h e l d on December 3, 1976. Psychologist Gallagher was t h e s o l e witness t o t e s t i f y . A t t h e beginning of t h e hearing, counsel f o r M i l l e r moved t o s t r i k e t h e psychologist' r e p o r t from t h e c o u r t f i l e on t h e grounds i t c o n s t i t u t e d hearsay evidence. The D i s t r i c t Court denied t h e motion. Counsel a d d i t i o n a l l y a s s e r t e d t h e p s y c h o l o g i s t / p a t i e n t p r i v i l e g e under s e c t i o n 66-3212, R.C.M. 1947, a s a b a r t o t h e testimony of psychologist Gallagher. That motion was likewise denied. A t t h e conclusion of t h e hearing, t h e D i s t r i c t Court con- cluded M i l l e r was " s e r i o u s l y mentally ill" and ordered h i s d e t e n t i o n a t Warm Springs be extended f o r an a d d i t i o n a l s i x months, Miller appeals. \ The i s s u e s r a i s e d and arguments advanced on appeal by M i l l e r a r e i d e n t i c a l t o those considered i n t h e companion case I n t h e Matter of C u r t i s Sonsteng ( t h i s Court's No. 13719, decided December , , 1977), and r e f e r e n c e i s made t h e r e t o . W e f i n d no need t o r e p e a t our p r i o r holdings and d i s c u s s i o n of t h e r e l e v a n t procedures and l e g a l p r i n c i p l e s a s found i n Sonsteng. The order of t h e D i s t r i c t Court i s affirmed. W Concur: e Justices.

Document Info

Docket Number: 13718

Filed Date: 12/22/1977

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 10/30/2014