(a) Any person who is a patient in a hospital for psychiatric disabilities upon the order of any Probate Court, or his or her representative, may make application to the Probate Court for the district in which the hospital is located for his or her release from the hospital. Upon receipt of any such application, such court shall assign a time, not later than ten days after the date the application was filed, and a place for hearing such application, and shall cause reasonable notice of such hearing to be given to the applicant, to the superintendent of the hospital where the applicant is confined and to such relative or relatives and friends as the court deems advisable. The notice shall inform the applicant that he or she has a right to be present at the hearing and to present evidence at the hearing; that he or she has a right to counsel; that he or she, if indigent, has a right to have counsel appointed to represent him or her; and that he or she has a right to cross-examine witnesses at any hearing upon such application. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 899, hospital records shall be admissible in evidence, subject to the rules of evidence as provided in subsection (b) of this section. Unless the court finds that further confinement of the applicant is necessary in accordance with the standards set forth in section 17a-498, the court shall order the release of such person. All of the expenses in connection with an application filed under this section shall be paid by the applicant, unless the applicant is indigent or otherwise unable to pay such expenses, in which case such expenses shall be paid by the state from funds appropriated to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in accordance with rates established by the department, and attorney's fees shall be established by, and paid from funds appropriated to, the Judicial Department, except that if funds have not been included in the budget of the Judicial Department for such attorney's fees, such fees shall be established by the Probate Court Administrator and paid from the Probate Court Administration Fund, provided in no event shall the expenses be paid for any one applicant for more than two hearings in any one year, including the hearing provided for in subsection (g) of section 17a-498. Such court may, for reasonable cause shown, order any person confined in a hospital for psychiatric disabilities to be removed to any other hospital for psychiatric disabilities in this state. If the officers, directors or trustees of a state hospital for psychiatric disabilities are notified by the superintendent of such hospital or other person in a managerial capacity that he or she has reason to believe that any person committed to such hospital by order of a Probate Court does not have psychiatric disabilities or is not a suitable subject to be confined in such hospital, or is appropriate for voluntary status, such officers, directors or trustees may discharge such person or convert the status of such person to voluntary status pursuant to section 17a-506. The superintendent or other director of such hospital shall notify such person's next of kin or close friend of such person's discharge, provided such person consents in writing to such notification.

(b) The rules of evidence applicable to civil matters in the Superior Court shall apply to hearings under this section.

(1949 Rev., S. 2652; P.A. 78-126, S. 3; P.A. 79-515, S. 5; P.A. 80-304, S. 2; 80-483, S. 76, 186; P.A. 83-295, S. 21; P.A. 85-523, S. 5, 9; P.A. 89-326, S. 4, 7; P.A. 94-204, S. 3, 5; P.A. 95-257, S. 11, 48, 58; P.A. 96-170, S. 13, 23; P.A. 97-90, S. 5, 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 13, 14, 121; P.A. 14-103, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 78-126 added provision re notification of next-of-kin of patient's discharge; P.A. 79-515 detailed procedure for release of patient and assessment of costs, replacing previous statement that court may order discharge upon application and satisfactory proof that person in question has been restored to reason; P.A. 80-304 replaced “court of competent jurisdiction” with “court of probate”; P.A. 80-483 made technical changes; P.A. 83-295 provided that fees for attorneys who represent indigent applicants shall be “established by” the judicial department; P.A. 85-523 provided application expenses shall be paid by department of mental health “in accordance with rates established by said department”; P.A. 89-326 provided that attorney's fees shall be established by the probate court administrator, rather than by the judicial department, and be paid from the probate court administration fund, rather than funds appropriated to the judicial department; Sec. 17-192 transferred to Sec. 17a-510 in 1991; P.A. 94-204 added provisions re persons appropriate for voluntary status pursuant to Sec. 17a-506, effective June 7, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Mental Health with Commissioner and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and replaced variants of “mental illness” and “mentally ill” with variants of “psychiatric disabilities”, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-170 changed funding of expenses of application from Probate Court Administration Fund to funds appropriated to Judicial Department, unless funds not included in budget of Judicial Department for such purpose, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 97-90 revised effective date of P.A. 96-170 but without affecting this section; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change, effective June 24, 1998; P.A. 14-103 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same to add reference to rules of evidence as provided in Subsec. (b), delete provision re timely objection to admissibility of evidence and make technical changes, and added Subsec. (b) re applicable rules of evidence.

See Sec. 17a-474 re release and transfer of inmates of humane institutions.

See Sec. 17a-523 re inquiry into whether person is wrongly confined.

Annotations to former section 17-192:

Cited. 173 C. 473; 192 C. 520; Id., 532.