Lower Court Holding
Decision of the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
We consider the question of whether the district court erred in holding that a pretrial detainee may be forcibly injected with antipsychotic medication for the sole purpose of rendering him competent to stand trial. This is an issue of first impression for this court. In Washington v. Harper (1990), the Supreme Court recognized that individuals possess "a significant liberty interest in avoiding unwanted administration of antipsychotic drugs." In Harper, a convicted prison inmate claimed that the State of Washington violated his due process rights by administering antipsychotic drugs against his will. The Court acknowledged that Harper had a liberty interest…
