Section 35

Amherst MA

Description

I'm a journalist researching Section 35, the involuntary civil commitment of individuals suspected of drug addiction or alcoholism who are accused of being a danger to themselves or others. I'm looking to interview 1) Section 35 respondents (defendants) who were represented by private lawyers (as opposed to state-appointed bar advocates) and/or 2) lawyers in private practice (not bar advocates) who have represented Section 35 respondents. I'm interested in how a respondent is able to contact his/her own lawyer given the time restraints (arrested in the morning, in the paddy wagon on the way to imprisonment by afternoon). And also how the process differs from the usual 20 minutes of representation from a bar advocate.