Auxier v. Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health

The public defender’s office on behalf of a Baker Act patient petitions this court for a writ of certiorari seeking review of an order discharging the public defender’s office from representing the patient in the Baker Act proceedings.

The public defender’s office was discharged as counsel for the patient upon an ore tenus motion by counsel for the patient’s guardian. The magistrate accepted the argument that because the patient had a plenary guardian, her rights had been transferred to her guardian and counsel for the guardian would represent her in the Baker Act proceedings. The patient was…