Matter of Doty

ARNOLD, Judge.

The North Carolina involuntary commitment statute requires two findings before a person may be committed against his will: (1) that the person is mentally ill or inebriate, and (2) that he is imminently dangerous to himself or others. N.C.G.S. §§ 122-58.1, -58.7(i), and -58.8(b). The statutory definition of mental illness, N.C.G.S. §§ 122-58.2(2) and -36(d), is broadly written and may well encompass Bertha Doty’s condition, even though the record shows no specific evidence of her symptoms. The doctor testified only that Ms. Doty was unable to care for herself, and that she was a…