| Abstract: | Bouvia, a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, earlier had failed to win Superior Court injunctions to restrain personnel at Riverside General Hospital from force feeding her if she attempted to starve herself to death while in their care [Bouvia v. County of Riverside, Trial court decision (in Bouvia I), No. 159780, 8 Feb 1984]. In this case, she sought a preliminary injunction restraining the staff of High Desert Hospital from continuing to feed her through a nasogastric tube, and from placing her on a special bed to control bed sores. In denying her request, the Superior Court ruled that, despite her claims to the contrary, Bouvia's refusal of nutrition and medical treatment was motivated by an intention to kill herself using public facilities, and not by a desire to exercise her right of privacy. |
