Court Discretion

All mention of specific types and dimensions of dangerous behavior, given by witnesses in testimony in 414 civil commitment hearings of allegedly dangerous mentally ill adults in one state, was recorded to see how such evidence affects court decision. A positive association between involuntary commitment and evidence of dangerous behavior as defined by appellate courts was found. Commitments increased with movement up a continuum of action and physical harm and with recency and recurrency. Much of the variance in involuntary commitment is explained by court concern with substantive justice.