United States Third Circuit

District Court order allowing the Government to forcibly medicate defendant, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section 1291, is affirmed where the Government has presented sufficiently important interests to forcibly medicate defendant, an incarcerated paranoid schizophrenic charged with child sex offenses. The administration of antipsychotic medication is substantially likely to render him competent to stand trial, and unlikely to produce side effects that may prevent him from helping prepare for his trial.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/11/2008
• Published 12/11/2008

Judges

• Before:  FISHER, CHAGARES and HARDIMAN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Thomas W. Patton (Argued), Office of Federal Public Defender, Erie, PA, Attorney for Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Robert L. Eberhardt, Rebecca R. Haywood (Argued), Office of United States Attorney, Pittsburgh, PA, Attorneys for Appellee.