Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 78.djvu/991

 78 STAT. ]

PUBLIC LAW 88-597-SEPT. 15, 1964

tion to such report as the court may require. If the court or jury (as the case may be) finds that such individual is not mentally ill, the court shall dismiss the petition and order his release. If the court or jury (as the case may be) finds that such individual is mentally ill and, because of that illness, is likely to injure himself or others if allowed to remain at liberty, the court may order his hospitalization for an indeterminate period, or order any other alternative course of treatment which the court believes will be in the best interests of such individual or of the public. The Commission, or any member thereof, shall be competent and compellable witnesses at any hearing or jury trial held pursuant to this Act. The jury to be used in any case where a jury trial is demanded under this Act shall be impaneled, upon order of the court, from the jurors in attendance upon other branches of the court, who shall perform such services in addition to and as part of their duties in such court. (g) The father, mother, husband, wife, and adult children of a mentally ill person, if of sufficient ability, and the estate of such mentally ill person, if such estate is sufficient for the purpose, shall pay the cost to the District of Columbia of such mentally ill person's maintenance, including treatment, in any hospital in which such person is hospitalized under this Act. I t shall be the duty of the Commission to examine, under oath, the father, mother, husband, wife, and adult children of any alleged mentally ill person whenever such relatives live within the District of Columbia, and to ascertain the ability of such relatives or estate to maintain or contribute toward the maintenance of such mentally ill person; except that in no case shall such relatives or estate be required to pay more than the actual cost to the District of Columbia of maintenance of such alleged mentally ill person. If any individual hereinabove made liable for the maintenance of a mentally ill person shall fail so to provide or pay for such maintenance, the court shall issue to such individual a citation to show cause why he should not be adjudged to pay a portion or all of the expenses of maintenance of such patient. The citation shall be served at least ten days before the hearing thereon. If, upon such hearing, it shall appear to the court that the mentally ill person has not sufficient estate out of which his maintenance may properly be fully met and that he has relatives of the degree hereinabove referred to who are parties to the proceedings, and who are able to contribute thereto, the court may maJje an order requiring payment by such relative of such sum or sums as it may find they are reasonably able to pay and as may be necessary to provide for the maintenance and treatment of such mentally ill person. Such order shall require the payment of such sums to the District of Columbia treasurer annually, semiannually, quarterly, or monthly as the court may direct. I t shall be the duty of the treasurer to collect such sums due under this section, and to turn the same into the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the District of Columbia. Any such order may be enforced against any property of the mentally ill person or of the individual liable or undertaking to maintain him in the same way as if it were an order for temporary alimony in a divorce case. (h) No petition, application, or certificate authorized under sections r>(a) and 7(a) of this Act may be considered if made by a physician who is related by blood or marriage to the alleged mentally ill person, or who is financially interested in the hospital in which the alleged mentally ill person is to be detained, or, except in the case of physicians employed by the United States or the District of Columbia, who are professionally or officially connected with such hospital. No such petition, application, or certificate of any physician shall be considered unless it is based on personal observation and examination of the

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