State v. C.C.

Insistence on fulfilling a delusional plan and refusing to take life saving medication is sufficient under ORS 426.005(1)(e)(A) for a court to order involuntary commitment for up to 180 days.

Defendant appealed a judgment of involuntary commitment, arguing the record did not obtain sufficient evidence for the court to find that he was a danger to himself due to mental illness. Defendant was diagnosed with diabetes at age 14 and is treated with injections of insulin. At the time of the incident at hand, Defendant, then 23, began to refrain from taking insulin because he believed that god had healed him, and that god would "sustain [his] blood sugar supernaturally." The delusional directives from god, not to take insulin, also included directives to ignore family and friends' advice to recontinue the use of insulin. Furthermore god told him to travel to Cartagena, Columbia to open a coffee shop. The trial court found the evidence was enough under ORS 426.005(1)(e)(A) to order involuntary commitment for up to 180 days because the Defendant's conduct was likely to lead to physical harm in the near future. The Court of Appeals agreed, holding the evidence met the clear and convincing standard because the record disclosed the probable consequences of Defendant's behavior. Affirmed.