(a) (1) If the defendant is found mentally competent, the criminal process shall resume, the trial on the offense charged shall proceed, and judgment may be pronounced. If the defendant is found mentally incompetent, the trial, judgment, or hearing on the alleged violation shall be suspended until the person becomes mentally competent, and the court shall order that (A) in the meantime, the defendant be delivered by the sheriff to an available public or private treatment facility approved by the county mental health director that will promote the defendant’s speedy restoration to mental competence, or placed on outpatient status as specified in this section, and (B) upon the filing of a certificate of restoration to competence, the defendant be returned to court in accordance with Section 1372. The court shall transmit a copy of its order to the county mental health director or his or her designee.

(2) If the defendant is found mentally incompetent, the court may make a finding that the defendant is an appropriate candidate for diversion pursuant to Chapter 2.8A (commencing with Section 1001.35) of Title 6, and may, if the defendant is eligible pursuant to Section 1001.36, grant diversion for a period not to exceed that set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c). Upon the dismissal of charges at the conclusion of the period of diversion, pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 1001.36, a defendant shall no longer be deemed incompetent to stand trial pursuant to this section.

(3) Prior to making the order directing that the defendant be confined in a treatment facility or placed on outpatient status, the court shall proceed as follows:

(A) The court shall order the county mental health director or his or her designee to evaluate the defendant and to submit to the court within 15 judicial days of the order a written recommendation as to whether the defendant should be required to undergo outpatient treatment, or committed to a treatment facility. No person shall be admitted to a treatment facility or placed on outpatient status under this section without having been evaluated by the county mental health director or his or her designee. No person shall be admitted to a state hospital under this section unless the county mental health director finds that there is no less restrictive appropriate placement available and the county mental health director has a contract with the State Department of State Hospitals for these placements.

(B) The court shall hear and determine whether the defendant, with advice of his or her counsel, consents to the administration of antipsychotic medication, and shall proceed as follows:

(i) If the defendant, with advice of his or her counsel, consents, the court order of commitment shall include confirmation that antipsychotic medication may be given to the defendant as prescribed by a treating psychiatrist pursuant to the defendant’s consent. The commitment order shall also indicate that, if the defendant withdraws consent for antipsychotic medication, after the treating psychiatrist complies with the provisions of subparagraph (C), the defendant shall be returned to court for a hearing in accordance with this subdivision regarding whether antipsychotic medication shall be administered involuntarily.

(ii) If the defendant does not consent to the administration of medication, the court shall hear and determine whether any of the following is true:

(I) The defendant lacks capacity to make decisions regarding antipsychotic medication, the defendant’s mental disorder requires medical treatment with antipsychotic medication, and, if the defendant’s mental disorder is not treated with antipsychotic medication, it is probable that serious harm to the physical or mental health of the patient will result. Probability of serious harm to the physical or mental health of the defendant requires evidence that the defendant is presently suffering adverse effects to his or her physical or mental health, or the defendant has previously suffered these effects as a result of a mental disorder and his or her condition is substantially deteriorating. The fact that a defendant has a diagnosis of a mental disorder does not alone establish probability of serious harm to the physical or mental health of the defendant.

(II) The defendant is a danger to others, in that the defendant has inflicted, attempted to inflict, or made a serious threat of inflicting substantial physical harm on another while in custody, or the defendant had inflicted, attempted to inflict, or made a serious threat of inflicting substantial physical harm on another that resulted in his or her being taken into custody, and the defendant presents, as a result of mental disorder or mental defect, a demonstrated danger of inflicting substantial physical harm on others. Demonstrated danger may be based on an assessment of the defendant’s present mental condition, including a consideration of past behavior of the defendant within six years prior to the time the defendant last attempted to inflict, inflicted, or threatened to inflict substantial physical harm on another, and other relevant evidence.

(III) The people have charged the defendant with a serious crime against the person or property; involuntary administration of antipsychotic medication is substantially likely to render the defendant competent to stand trial; the medication is unlikely to have side effects that interfere with the defendant’s ability to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or to assist counsel in the conduct of a defense in a reasonable manner; less intrusive treatments are unlikely to have substantially the same results; and antipsychotic medication is in the patient’s best medical interest in light of his or her medical condition.

(iii) If the court finds any of the conditions described in clause (ii) to be true, the court shall issue an order authorizing the treatment facility to involuntarily administer antipsychotic medication to the defendant when and as prescribed by the defendant’s treating psychiatrist. The court shall not order involuntary administration of psychotropic medication under subclause (III) of clause (ii) unless the court has first found that the defendant does not meet the criteria for involuntary administration of psychotropic medication under subclause (I) of clause (ii) and does not meet the criteria under subclause (II) of clause (ii).

(iv) In all cases, the treating hospital, facility, or program may administer medically appropriate antipsychotic medication prescribed by a psychiatrist in an emergency as described in subdivision (m) of Section 5008 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(v) Any report made pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include a description of any antipsychotic medication administered to the defendant and its effects and side effects, including effects on the defendant’s appearance or behavior that would affect the defendant’s ability to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or to assist counsel in the conduct of a defense in a reasonable manner. During the time the defendant is confined in a state hospital or other treatment facility or placed on outpatient status, either the defendant or the people may request that the court review any order made pursuant to this subdivision. The defendant, to the same extent enjoyed by other patients in the state hospital or other treatment facility, shall have the right to contact the patients’ rights advocate regarding his or her rights under this section.

(C) If the defendant consented to antipsychotic medication as described in clause (i) of subparagraph (B), but subsequently withdraws his or her consent, or, if involuntary antipsychotic medication was not ordered pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (B), and the treating psychiatrist determines that antipsychotic medication has become medically necessary and appropriate, the treating psychiatrist shall make efforts to obtain informed consent from the defendant for antipsychotic medication. If informed consent is not obtained from the defendant, and the treating psychiatrist is of the opinion that the defendant lacks capacity to make decisions regarding antipsychotic medication as specified in subclause (I) of clause (ii) of subparagraph (B), or that the defendant is a danger to others as specified in subclause (II) of clause (ii) of subparagraph (B), the committing court shall be notified of this, including an assessment of the current mental status of the defendant and the opinion of the treating psychiatrist that involuntary antipsychotic medication has become medically necessary and appropriate. The court shall provide copies of the report to the prosecuting attorney and to the attorney representing the defendant and shall set a hearing to determine whether involuntary antipsychotic medication should be ordered in the manner described in subparagraph (B).

(4) When the court, after considering the placement recommendation of the county mental health director required in paragraph (3), orders that the defendant be confined in a public or private treatment facility, the court shall provide copies of the following documents which shall be taken with the defendant to the treatment facility where the defendant is to be confined:

(A) The commitment order, including a specification of the charges.

(B) A computation or statement setting forth the maximum term of commitment in accordance with subdivision (c).

(C) A computation or statement setting forth the amount of credit for time served, if any, to be deducted from the maximum term of commitment.

(D) State summary criminal history information.

(E) Any arrest reports prepared by the police department or other law enforcement agency.

(F) Any court-ordered psychiatric examination or evaluation reports.

(G) The county mental health director’s placement recommendation report.

(5) A person subject to commitment under this section may be placed on outpatient status under the supervision of the county mental health director or his or her designee by order of the court in accordance with the procedures contained in Title 15 (commencing with Section 1600) except that where the term “community program director” appears the term “county mental health director” shall be substituted.

(6) If the defendant is committed or transferred to a public or private treatment facility approved by the county mental health director, the court may, upon receiving the written recommendation of the county mental health director, transfer the defendant to another public or private treatment facility approved by the county mental health director. In the event of dismissal of the criminal charges before the defendant recovers competence, the person shall be subject to the applicable provisions of Part 1 (commencing with Section 5000) of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Where either the defendant or the prosecutor chooses to contest the order of transfer, a petition may be filed in the court for a hearing, which shall be held if the court determines that sufficient grounds exist. At the hearing, the prosecuting attorney or the defendant may present evidence bearing on the order of transfer. The court shall use the same standards as are used in conducting probation revocation hearings pursuant to Section 1203.2.

Prior to making an order for transfer under this section, the court shall notify the defendant, the attorney of record for the defendant, the prosecuting attorney, and the county mental health director or his or her designee.

(b) Within 90 days of a commitment made pursuant to subdivision (a), the medical director of the treatment facility to which the defendant is confined shall make a written report to the court and the county mental health director or his or her designee, concerning the defendant’s progress toward recovery of mental competence. Where the defendant is on outpatient status, the outpatient treatment staff shall make a written report to the county mental health director concerning the defendant’s progress toward recovery of mental competence. Within 90 days of placement on outpatient status, the county mental health director shall report to the court on this matter. If the defendant has not recovered mental competence, but the report discloses a substantial likelihood that the defendant will regain mental competence in the foreseeable future, the defendant shall remain in the treatment facility or on outpatient status. Thereafter, at six-month intervals or until the defendant becomes mentally competent, where the defendant is confined in a treatment facility, the medical director of the hospital or person in charge of the facility shall report in writing to the court and the county mental health director or a designee regarding the defendant’s progress toward recovery of mental competence. Where the defendant is on outpatient status, after the initial 90-day report, the outpatient treatment staff shall report to the county mental health director on the defendant’s progress toward recovery, and the county mental health director shall report to the court on this matter at six-month intervals. A copy of these reports shall be provided to the prosecutor and defense counsel by the court. If the report indicates that there is no substantial likelihood that the defendant will regain mental competence in the foreseeable future, the committing court shall order the defendant to be returned to the court for proceedings pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c). The court shall transmit a copy of its order to the county mental health director or his or her designee.

(c) (1) If, at the end of one year from the date of commitment or a period of commitment equal to the maximum term of imprisonment provided by law for the most serious offense charged in the misdemeanor complaint, whichever is shorter, the defendant has not recovered mental competence, the defendant shall be returned to the committing court. The court shall notify the county mental health director or his or her designee of the return and of any resulting court orders.

(2) Whenever any defendant is returned to the court pursuant to subdivision (b) or paragraph (1) of this subdivision and it appears to the court that the defendant is gravely disabled, as defined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (h) of Section 5008 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the court shall order the conservatorship investigator of the county of commitment of the defendant to initiate conservatorship proceedings for the defendant pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Any hearings required in the conservatorship proceedings shall be held in the superior court in the county that ordered the commitment. The court shall transmit a copy of the order directing initiation of conservatorship proceedings to the county mental health director or his or her designee and shall notify the county mental health director or his or her designee of the outcome of the proceedings.

(d) The criminal action remains subject to dismissal pursuant to Section 1385. If the criminal action is dismissed, the court shall transmit a copy of the order of dismissal to the county mental health director or his or her designee.

(e) If the criminal charge against the defendant is dismissed, the defendant shall be released from any commitment ordered under this section, but without prejudice to the initiation of any proceedings which may be appropriate under Part 1 (commencing with Section 5000) of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 34, Sec. 26. (AB 1810) Effective June 27, 2018.)