BARKER, Judge.
¶ 1 This matter requires us to consider the relationship between the statutes governing those found Guilty Except Insane ("GEI") pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes ("A.R.S.") sections 13-502 and -3994 (2010), and those that apply to administering involuntary treatment to persons in civil commitment proceedings. A.R.S. §§ 36-501 to -546.01 (2009). For the reasons that follow, we affirm the trial court's ruling ordering Appellant, a patient committed to the Arizona State Hospital ("Hospital") pursuant to a GEI adjudication, to receive court-ordered treatment.
¶ 2 In 2007, Appellant ("Patient") was adjudicated GEI and committed to the Hospital for a term of 10.5 years. A GEI defendant is placed under the jurisdiction of the Psychiatric Security Review Board ("PSRB") and committed to a mental health facility for a "period of treatment." A.R.S. §§ 13-502(D), -3994(A). Notwithstanding this statutory grant, the GEI statutes do not address what procedure is to be followed when a GEI defendant refuses non-emergency treatment deemed necessary. Accordingly, on October 19, 2010, the Hospital filed a petition for court-ordered treatment pursuant to Arizona's civil commitment statutes. A.R.S. § 36-501 to -546.01 (2009). The petition alleged that Patient was suffering from a mental disorder and was persistently or acutely disabled; it asked the court to order treatment pursuant to A.R.S. § 36-540(A)(2). The petition was supported by the affidavits of Dr. S. and Dr. M.
¶ 4 At the hearing on December 8, counsel stipulated to admit the affidavits by Dr. S. and Dr. M., the medication affidavit signed by Dr. B., and the expert testimony of Dr. S. and Dr. B. The court heard testimony from the physicians and from two acquaintance witnesses. At the close of the hearing, the court found, by clear and convincing evidence, that Patient was persistently or acutely disabled as a result of a mental disorder, that he was in need of psychiatric treatment, and that he was unwilling to accept voluntary treatment. Finding no appropriate available alternative, the court ordered Patient to remain at the Hospital for inpatient treatment for a period not to exceed 180 days.
¶ 5 Patient filed a timely notice of appeal. We have jurisdiction pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 36-546.01 (2009), 12-2101(K)(1) (2003).
¶ 6 Patient appeals the order for involuntary mental health treatment arguing (1) that the court did not have jurisdiction because the court failed to strictly comply with statutory requirements pertaining to civil commitment proceedings, and (2) there was insufficient evidence for the court to find him persistently or acutely disabled.
¶ 7 We review issues involving the application and interpretation of statutes de novo. In re Jesse M., 217 Ariz. 74, 76, ¶ 8, 170 P.3d 683, 685 (App.2007). The legislature has narrowly tailored the statutes providing for involuntary treatment, and as a general rule we strictly apply them because they typically result in a significant deprivation of liberty. In re MH 2007-001264, 218 Ariz. 538, 539, ¶ 6, 189 P.3d 1111, 1112 (App. 2008). However, we will only disturb a court order for involuntary treatment if it is "clearly erroneous or unsupported by any credible evidence." In re MH 94-00592, 182 Ariz. 440, 443, 897 P.2d 742, 745 (App.1995).
¶ 8 Patient contends that the court did not have jurisdiction to enter an order for treatment pursuant to A.R.S. § 36-535 (Supp. 2010) for two reasons: (a) the hearing was untimely and (b) pre-petition procedures were not followed.
¶ 9 For purposes of this discussion, we assume without deciding that the civil commitment statute applies to the petition for treatment at issue here. We separate this issue from civil commitment procedures that precede a petition for treatment for reasons that will become clear in the following section.
¶ 10 As to the timeliness of a hearing on a petition for treatment, A.R.S. § 36-535(B) states:
The statute "grants a patient the right to a hearing or release within six days unless [the patient] requests a continuance . . . if the patient requests a continuance, the court may set the hearing later than six days after the petition was filed, up to a maximum of
¶ 11 To protect a proposed patient's liberty interests,
¶ 12 Patient was the impetus behind the deviation from the statute. The time that elapsed between filing the petition and holding the hearing was longer than thirty days because Patient requested two continuances. The court granted both continuances to provide Patient an opportunity to obtain an independent medical evaluation. "By the rule of invited error, one who deliberately leads the court to take certain action may not upon appeal assign that action as error." Schlecht v. Schiel, 76 Ariz. 214, 220, 262 P.2d 252, 256 (1953); see also State v. Armstrong, 208 Ariz. 345, 357 n. 7, ¶ 59, 93 P.3d 1061, 1073 n. 7 (2004) (stating that the invited error doctrine exists to prevent a party from injecting error into the record and then profiting from that error on appeal). Thus, while the court erred by continuing the hearing beyond the statutory limit. Patient invited this error and cannot seek to vacate the order on appeal.
¶ 13 Patient next argues that the court did not have jurisdiction because the proceedings below did not strictly comply with pre-petition procedures mandated for civil commitment proceedings. Patient argues that the failure to file a petition for evaluation was one such flaw.
¶ 14 Prior to the proceedings at issue in this case, Patient was adjudicated GEI and admitted to the Hospital pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 13-502 and -3994 (2010). Section 13-502(D) directs that a defendant adjudicated GEI "be placed under the jurisdiction of the
¶ 15 In re MH 2008-000028 is instructive in resolving this matter. In re MH 2008-000028, 221 Ariz. 277, 211 P.3d 1261 (App. 2009). Just as our present case deals with the relationship between the GEI statute and the statutory scheme for civil commitment, MH 2008-000028 dealt with "the interplay between Arizona's civil commitment statutes and its criminal statute governing incompetent defendants." Id. at 279, ¶ 1, 211 P.3d at 1263. For reasons similar to those in MH 2008-000028, we hold that strict compliance with procedures prior to the petition for treatment was not required here.
¶ 16 In MH 2008-000028, the patient had been arrested, and prior to trial, the criminal court ordered an evaluation of his competency pursuant to Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 11. Id. at ¶ 3. Ultimately, the court found the patient was not competent to stand trial with no substantial probability of being restored to competency. Id. at ¶ 4. At the Rule 11 hearing, the court also ordered the patient to be taken for inpatient evaluation pursuant to A.R.S. § 36-530. Id. at ¶ 5. The State filed an "Application for Involuntary Evaluation." While similar, this was not a Petition for Court-Ordered Evaluation as required by the statute. Id. at 280, ¶ 6, 211 P.3d at 1264. Thereafter, the State filed a Petition for Court-Ordered Treatment and the court issued an order for the patient to undergo inpatient treatment. Id. at ¶ 9. Thus, in MH 2008-000028, the State failed to strictly comply with the involuntary commitment statutes; it did not file a petition for court-ordered evaluation before filing an application for involuntary evaluation and conducting an evaluation pursuant to court order. Id. at ¶ 6-7.
¶ 17 On appeal, the patient argued that "the court acted without proper authority when it ordered him to undergo an involuntary evaluation and subsequent treatment" without the State first filing a petition for evaluation. Id. at 281, ¶ 14, 211 P.3d at 1265. This court rejected the patient's argument stating that rather than strictly applying the civil commitment statutes, it was tasked with "harmoniz[ing] the provisions of the civil commitment statutes and those of a related criminal statute," A.R.S. § 13-4517(1) (2010). Id. at ¶ 15. The court reasoned that when an individual is arrested and determined incompetent to stand trial "the process for civil commitment can take a different course." Id. at ¶ 18. The patient in MH 2008-000028 had been found incompetent to stand trial and non-restorable. Id. As a result, under A.R.S. § 13-4517(1) the trial court had authority to place the patient in custody of the department of health services for civil commitment.
¶ 18 Both the State and Patient, in supplemental briefing this court ordered on the issue, are unable to identify any statutes or administrative regulations that specifically govern the treatment of those committed to the Hospital as GEI. We agree generally with the State's reliance upon the administrative
A.A.C. R9-20-203 (C)(18). Thus, the administrative scheme sets up the following protocol to permit the Hospital to medicate a patient: (1) when the Hospital has the consent of the patient or a person authorized to consent for the patient; (2) when an emergency is present; or (3) when the court otherwise orders it.
¶ 19 With this statutory and administrative scheme in mind, we agree that the civil commitment statutes generally provide the procedures by which a person found GEI can be administered involuntary treatment. We do not hold that the petition for treatment under the civil commitment statute is the only means by which a GEI defendant can be administered involuntary treatment absent an emergency. That issue is not before us.
¶ 20 We are cognizant that the GEI statute provides that "the procedures for civil commitment govern the continued commitment of the person after the expiration of the jurisdiction of the psychiatric security review board." A.R.S. § 13-3994(K). The argument can be made that because the civil commitment procedures are in place after the board's jurisdiction has ended, the procedures cannot be employed during the time period when the board's jurisdiction is still in effect. Given that there are no statutes directly setting forth how involuntary treatment for a GEI defendant is to be administered, and the regulatory scheme for the Hospital invokes the civil commitment scheme generally, we see no error in utilizing the civil commitment procedures in the fashion done here. As a result, we conclude that the trial court's deviation from pre-petition procedures mandated by the civil commitment statutes neither invalidates the court's order of commitment for involuntary mental health treatment nor deprives it of jurisdiction.
¶ 21 Patient also argues that there was insufficient evidence for the court to find that Patient was persistently or acutely disabled. If the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the patient, as a result of a mental disorder, is a danger to self or others, is persistently or acutely disabled, or is gravely disabled, and is in need of treatment but unable or unwilling to accept it, the court may order involuntary treatment. A.R.S. § 36-540(A) (2009). "We view the facts in a light most favorable to upholding the court's ruling and will not reverse an order for involuntary treatment unless it is `clearly erroneous and unsupported by any credible evidence.'" In re MH 2009-002120, 225 Ariz. 284, 290, ¶ 17, 237 P.3d 637, 643 (App.2010) (internal citations omitted).
¶ 22 Under A.R.S. § 36-501(33), "persistently or acutely disabled" is defined as follows:
¶ 23 Dr. S. prepared an affidavit and testified at the hearing. He observed that Patient was "very determined, angry and unwilling to negotiate aspects of his treatment. . . also he was very agitated about things that he interpreted were directed against him." Patient's perceptions moved him to act out; in one instance, he threw hot coffee on Dr. S., at another time he threatened to hit the doctor with a trash can. Dr. S. testified that Patient did not have good insight into his illness or his need for treatment and that if left untreated, Patient would "continue to be angry and direct his anger and aggression towards people in the community."
¶ 24 Dr. M. also filed an affidavit in support of the petition. He found Patient to be persistently or acutely disabled as a result of suffering from bipolar disorder with psychotic features. The doctor observed that Patient had poor judgment, denied he had a mental illness, and could present a danger to himself or others. The doctor opined that if left unsupervised, Patient would fail to comply with recommended treatment.
¶ 25 Dr. B., Patient's current treating psychiatrist, also testified at the hearing. Dr. B. testified that while Patient was intelligent and articulate, he was very irritable and had mercurial moods. Dr. B. expressed his view that Patient could "earn his way out of the hospital" if he cooperated with treatment. However, Dr. B. testified that he was concerned that if Patient were discharged into the community unsupervised, Patient's aggressive and threatening behavior would cause him to hurt someone or be hurt himself. The acquaintance witnesses' testimony supported the physicians' opinions. D.O., a social worker working in Patient's unit, testified at the hearing that Patient could cause harm to himself or others. D.G., a nurse on Patient's ward, also testified that Patient would become upset and act violently. D.G. testified that if Patient were discharged without supervision she doubted whether he would comply with his medication and she was concerned that his outbursts would cause him to injure himself or others.
¶ 26 In light of the testimony provided at the hearing and the affidavits admitted by stipulation, we conclude the court did not err in finding that Patient was persistently or acutely disabled.
¶ 27 For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the order of commitment for involuntary treatment.
CONCURRING: ANN A. SCOTT TIMMER, Presiding Judge, and PATRICK IRVINE, Judge.
Additionally, the record indicates that efforts were made to provide Patient with an independent evaluator during the proceedings. Patient was informed, through the notice of hearing, that he had a right to an independent mental health evaluator. And twice, Patient requested, and was granted, a continuance so that he could obtain an independent medical examination. While Patient did not present testimony or an affidavit from an independent medical evaluation, Patient's failure to do so is not grounds to vacate the court's order.