Walden Behavioral Care v. K. I.

Walden Behavioral Care, a private facility for the treatment and care of mentally ill persons, brought this petition, pursuant to G.Lc. 123, §§7, 8, to commit and retain KI. (“KI.”), a patient at its facility. At the outset of the hearing on the petition, KI. moved to exclude any evidence based on his own statements because they constituted patient-psychotherapist communications, which are privileged pursuant to G.Lc. 233, §20B. The court denied the motion and heard testimony from the attending psychiatrist, the only witness presented. The psychiatrist testified that KI. had repeatedly…