Cal. Dept. of State Hospitals v. F.G. CA1/4

BACKGROUND

Following a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, F.G. was admitted to the Department of State Hospitals-Napa (Department). He has a history of schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms, including auditory hallucinations, persecutory delusions, paranoia, and disorganization of thoughts and behavior. According to F.G., he transitioned at some point from the status of a person not guilty by reason of insanity (NGI) under Penal Code section 1026, to the status of an offender with a mental disorder under Penal Code section 2960 et seq.1 In September 2024, a court entered an order allowing the Department to administer antipsychotic medication to F.G. without his consent. In July 2025, the Department filed a petition to renew the order. The trial court appointed counsel to represent F.G., and a few weeks later it held a hearing, which F.G. did not attend. Dr. Domingo Laguitan, F.G.’s treating psychiatrist, testified for the Department. He recounted his medical degree, his four-year residency training program in psychiatry, his twenty years as a staff psychiatrist at the Department, his job duties (including diagnosing patients and devising treatment plans involving…