People v. Donrell S.

The respondents, Donrell S., Hal K., and Lance H., appeal orders finding them subject to involuntary admission after each waived his right to a hearing. Because this court has recently found that the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code (Mental Health Code) (405 ILCS 5/1 — 100 et seq. (West 2006)) does not contemplate or permit such a blanket waiver of all the procedural safeguards provided to respondents on petitions for involuntary admission, we reverse.

These three cases involve patients with long histories of mental illness and multiple previous involuntary admissions. In…