Treatment vs. Jail for Mental Health Defendants

We cannot stress enough how different the proceedings of a criminal case for mentally stable defendants will be from those processed for insane or mentally ill individuals tried in the mental health court systems. The rights of the mentally disabled differ from those of the non mentally ill. As such, the legal processes of the mentally incapacitated will reflect a different set of standard operating procedures, including the ways in which a defendant is tried and subsequently punished.

Unlike other individuals in need of a criminal defense lawyer, a mentally ill individual may require a much stronger form of legal defense. Only with the help of a Southern California mental health attorney from Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP do you stand a chance at survival in the Ventura and Los Angeles mental health court systems if you have been accused of a crime for which your mental illness is to blame.

Difference Between Sanity Hearing vs. Trial

In the eyes of a defendant, perhaps the most noteworthy difference in a sanity hearing and subsequent trial is the way in which the punishments will be reflected at the end of the trial. This is because an entirely different set of reasoning and defense tactics must be used for persons who suffer from both long-term and temporary bouts of mental incapacitation.

Do Criminal Penalties Apply in Mental Health Cases?

The typical punishments of prison time, fines, and community service are often waived in criminal circumstances involving the mentally ill. Instead, those suffering from mental illness can often be sentenced to time in mental health facilities, where they receive treatment instead of punishment.

Prioritizing Mental Health Treatment Over Incarceration

Civil commitment in a hospital facility should be the only option for mentally incapacitated individuals who have been charged with a crime in Southern California. When a person is unable to understand that their behaviors have violated moral standards of operation and have consequently crossed over into the realm of criminal offense, then there is no way they can be expected to understand their placement in a state prison facility; not to mention, their lack of potential to survive in this type of system. Therefore, it is vital for mentally ill defendant's accused of a criminal offense to immediately contact associate lawyer from our firm.

At Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP we have helped hundreds of clients suffering from mental illness get into programs instead of prison. We work with some of the top doctors in Southern California to fight for our clients, and to show that prison is not the answer.

Charged With a Crime? We Can Help!

As a full service law firm for the communities of Orange County, Van Nuys, San Fernando Valley, and Santa Barbara, we are ready to take on the intimate details of your case. As they pertain to the mental health field, the laws governing criminal offenders are highly specialized right down to the most intricate of circumstances. That being said, there is clearly no room for hesitance or mistake when it comes to legally attending to the matters at hand for mentally ill individuals.

We have spent more than 50 combined years serving our clients in and out of Southern California's courtrooms, so we know what it takes to get the results that any defendant desires. One of our lawyers, Jeremy Lessem, is certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization – a distinction achieved by less than one percent of attorneys practicing criminal law in California. We do not want to see you end up somewhere you don't belong any more than you do. Therefore, we are willing to do everything in our power to ensure that you are judged in a way that takes into account your mentally illness.

Contact Lessem, Newstat & Tooson today to see how our firm can help you!