Mercer v. Thomas B. Finan Center

Jason Mercer v. Thomas B. Finan Center, No. 9, September Term, 2021 FORCED MEDICATION – RIGHT TO COUNSEL UPON REQUEST – WAIVER OF RIGHT – Court of Appeals held that Md. Code. Ann., Health-Gen. (1982, 2019 Repl. Vol.) § 10-708(i) conferred right to counsel upon request, in light of plain language and legislative history of statute. Court of Appeals concluded that where form used to request administrative hearing contained no notice of consequences of declining to request counsel, and where individual received subsequent notice informing individual of right to request assistance of lawyer,…