San Diego County Department of Social Services v. Law

Appellant Sandra Law appeals a jury verdict (Mar. 31, 1987) finding that she has a mental disorder and as a result of that mental disorder she is unable to provide for her basic personal needs of food, clothing or shelter. She was found to be a gravely disabled person and the conservatorship of her person was established April 3, 1987, following the jury verdict.

Facts

Law has suffered from a mental illness since 1973. She was first placed on a conservatorship in April 1985 and she has resided at the Country Hills Residential Care Facility in Lemon Grove. Dr. Rodrigos Munos, M.D., qualified as an expert witness and testified that he had been Law’s treating psychiatrist since November 1986. During the five-month period he treated Law, Dr. Munos testified he saw her several times per week. In addition to the frequent examinations of her, Dr. Munos also relied upon interviews with the administrator of the Country Hills Residential Care Facility and interviews with Law’s mother in making his diagnosis of Law’s mental disorder. Dr. Munos diagnosed Law as being a severe paranoid schizophrenic. Also Dr. Munos testified that when Law refused to take her medication she exhibited…