30:4-27.12 Court hearing.
12. a. A patient who is involuntarily committed to treatment and assigned to an outpatient treatment provider or involuntarily committed to treatment and admitted to a short-term care or psychiatric facility or special psychiatric hospital shall receive a court hearing with respect to the issue of continued need for involuntary commitment within 20 days from initial commitment unless the patient has been administratively discharged pursuant to section 17 of P.L.1987, c.116 (C.30:4-27.17). However, if a person is involuntarily committed pursuant to subsection c. or d. of section 10 of P.L.1987, c.116 (C.30:4-27.10), that person immediately shall be committed to the Ann Klein Forensic Center in Trenton or other facility designated for the criminally insane for the duration of the 20-day waiting period.
b. Except as provided in subsection c. of this section, the assigned county counsel is responsible for presenting the case for the patient's involuntary commitment to the court, unless the county adjuster is licensed to practice law in this State, in which case the county adjuster shall present the case for the patient's involuntary commitment to the court.
c. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection b. of this section and upon notice to the county adjuster:
(1) The Attorney General, or the county prosecutor acting at the request of the Attorney General, may supersede the county counsel or county adjuster and assume responsibility for presenting any case for involuntary commitment to treatment or may elect to participate with the county counsel or county adjuster in presenting any such case; and
(2) The county prosecutor may supersede the county counsel or county adjuster and assume responsibility for presenting any case for involuntary commitment to treatment initiated by the county prosecutor pursuant to subsection c. of section 10 of P.L.1987, c.116 (C.30:4-27.10) or may elect to participate with the county counsel in the presentation of any such case.
d. A patient subject to involuntary commitment to treatment shall have counsel present at the hearing and shall not be permitted to appear at the hearing without counsel.
L.1987, c.116, s.12; amended 1989, c.73, s.2; 1994, c.134, s.7; 2009, c.112, s.13.