People v. Lawson

Defendant was committed to a mental health center after being found not guilty by reason of insanity on a charge of aggravated battery. Defendant filed a petition for discharge and the district court granted the State’s motion for directed verdict. Defendant appealed, arguing that the trial court’s ruling was erroneous. The appellate court reversed and remanded, finding that the circuit court misconstrued section 5-2-4 of the Unified Code of Corrections and ignored another element of the statute that required the court to determine whether the defendant would benefit from or was not in need of inpatient care and that expert testimony established that she would not benefit from inpatient care. (DAVENPORT and ANDERSON, concurring)