In re Judicial Commitment of C.P.K.

NORRIS, Judge.

The respondent, C.P.K., was found to be suffering from mental illness and subjected to a judgment of involuntary judicial commitment. The issue is whether the trial court should have appointed an attorney from the Mental Health Advocacy Service to represent the respondent, C.P.K. We conclude that the trial court’s failure to do so was error, so we reverse and remand the case with instructions.

The respondent’s father filed the petition on May 15,1987. Pursuant to the statute,1 the district court for Lincoln Parish signed an order appointing two physicians to examine C.P.K. and to…