CONFUSION SURROUNDING THE RIGHTS OF THE MENTALLY ILL:


A Look at O’Connor v. Donaldson (1975)


by Mia Beldner


The Supreme Court’s decision in O’Connor v. Donaldson (1975) marked a pivotal moment in addressing the right to treatment for individuals with mental illness. Despite its opportunity to address growing concerns about the right to treatmenta right previously upheld by lower court decisionsthe Court focused solely on the right to liberty guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. This paper examines the vague criteria for involuntarily confining individuals with mental illness and their subsequent right to treatment, highlighting the inadequacies of the Court’s ruling in addressing these issues. Analyzing the decision by the Court, this paper argues that the justices prioritized legal precedent over political motivations when making their decision. However, the use of this legal purist lens by the justices has left significant confusion surrounding the rights of the mentally ill, emphasizing a need for clearer legal standards.