(1) Hearings before the court pursuant to section 27-65-107, 27-65-108, or 27-65-109 are conducted in the same manner as other civil proceedings before the court. The burden of proof is on the person or facility seeking to detain the respondent. The court or jury shall determine that the respondent is in need of care and treatment only if the court or jury finds by clear and convincing evidence that the person has a mental health disorder and, as a result of the mental health disorder, is a danger to others or to himself or herself or is gravely disabled.
The court, after consultation with respondent's counsel to obtain counsel's recommendations, may appoint a professional person to examine the respondent for whom shortterm treatment or long-term care and treatment is sought and to testify at the hearing before the court as to the results of his or her examination. The court-appointed professional person shall act solely in an advisory capacity, and no presumption shall attach to his or her findings.
Every respondent subject to an order for short-term treatment or long-term care andtreatment shall be advised of his or her right to appeal the order by the court at the conclusion of any hearing as a result of which such an order may be entered.
The court in which the petition is filed under section 27-65-106 or the certification isfiled under section 27-65-107 shall be the court of original jurisdiction and of continuing jurisdiction for any further proceedings under this article. When the convenience of the parties and the ends of justice would be promoted by a change in the court having jurisdiction, the court may order a transfer of the proceeding to another county. Until further order of the transferee court, if any, it shall be the court of continuing jurisdiction.
(a) In the event that a respondent or a person found not guilty by reason of impaired mental condition pursuant to section 16-8-103.5 (5), C.R.S., or by reason of insanity pursuant to section 16-8-105 (4) or 16-8-105.5, C.R.S., refuses to accept medication, the court having jurisdiction of the action pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, the court committing the person or defendant to the custody of the department pursuant to section 16-8-103.5 (5), 16-8105 (4), or 16-8-105.5, C.R.S., or the court of the jurisdiction in which the designated facility treating the respondent or person is located shall have jurisdiction and venue to accept a petition by a treating physician and to enter an order requiring that the respondent or person accept such treatment or, in the alternative, that the medication be forcibly administered to him or her. The court of the jurisdiction in which the designated facility is located shall not exercise its jurisdiction without the permission of the court that committed the person to the custody of the department. Upon the filing of such a petition, the court shall appoint an attorney, if one has not been appointed, to represent the respondent or person and hear the matter within ten days.
In any case brought under paragraph (a) of this subsection (5) in a court for thecounty in which the treating facility is located, the county where the proceeding was initiated pursuant to subsection (4) of this section or the court committing the person to the custody of the department pursuant to section 16-8-103.5 (5), 16-8-105 (4), or 16-8-105.5, C.R.S., shall either reimburse the county in which the proceeding pursuant to this subsection (5) was filed and in which the proceeding was held for the reasonable costs incurred in conducting the proceeding or conduct the proceeding itself using its own personnel and resources, including its own district or county attorney, as the case may be.
In the case of a defendant who is found incompetent to proceed pursuant to section16-8.5-103, C.R.S., and who refuses to accept medication, the jurisdiction for the petition for involuntary treatment procedures shall be as set forth in section 16-8.5-112, C.R.S.
(6) All proceedings under this article, including proceedings to impose a legal disability pursuant to section 27-65-127, shall be conducted by the district attorney of the county where the proceeding is held or by a qualified attorney acting for the district attorney appointed by the district court for that purpose; except that, in any county or in any city and county having a population exceeding fifty thousand persons, the proceedings shall be conducted by the county attorney or by a qualified attorney acting for the county attorney appointed by the district court. In any case in which there has been a change of venue to a county other than the county of residence of the respondent or the county in which the certification proceeding was commenced, the county from which the proceeding was transferred shall either reimburse the county to which the proceeding was transferred and in which the proceeding was held for the reasonable costs incurred in conducting the proceeding or conduct the proceeding itself using its own personnel and resources, including its own district or county attorney, as the case may be. Upon request of a guardian appointed pursuant to article 14 of title 15, C.R.S., the guardian may intervene in any proceeding under this article concerning his or her ward and, through counsel, may present evidence and represent to the court the views of the guardian concerning the appropriate disposition of the case.
Source: L. 2010: Entire article added with relocations, (SB 10-175), ch. 188, p. 690, § 2, effective April 29. L. 2017: (1) amended, (SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1345, § 239, effective May 25.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 27-10-111 as it existed prior to 2010.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 17-242, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.