Washington State Appeals District Court Order For Seven-Day Jail Competency Evaluations

On June 6, 2015, the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) appealed a district court ruling ordering DSHS to conduct offender competency evaluations within seven days of a court order. The court order directed DSHS to transfer criminal defendants from jail to a state hospital if the jail cannot complete a competency evaluation in seven days. In its appeal, DSHS said the requirement is likely to result in unnecessary transfers to state hospital forensic beds and impair the state hospitals’ ability to treat those who actually have mental illness.

The district court ruling was issued in Trueblood v . . .