United States Fourth Circuit

In a prosecution of defendant for conspiracy, credit card fraud and identity theft, district court's grant of the prosecution's motion to forcibly medicate defendant, who suffers from Delusional Disorder, Grandiose Type, for the purpose of rendering defendant competent to stand trial, is reversed as the Supreme Court made clear in Sell that forced medication of an accused in an effort to restore competency for trial is constitutionally permissible in "limited circumstances," and here, the district court's order comes perilously close to a forcible medication regime best described not as "limited," but as "routine."

Appellate Information

• Argued 05/12/2010
• Decided 09/22/2010
• Published 09/22/2010

Judges

• DAVIS

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Joseph Bart Gilbert, Tobin Webb Lathan