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Sharon Suzuki v. George Yuen

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

617 F.2d 173 (1980)

Facts

In 1973, Sharon Suzuki (plaintiff) was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility in Hawaii and filed a federal habeas corpus petition, seeking her release. Suzuki further requested a declaratory judgment that parts of the governing laws for involuntary commitments be found unconstitutional and that the state be enjoined from applying those laws. A class action was certified in July 1975 to include all current, and future, individuals confined pursuant to the laws in question. The district court found the original statutes unconstitutional. After Hawaii amended the law, the court granted summary judgment to Suzuki, finding the revised statutes unconstitutional because the law permitted confinement of individuals who damaged property and who did not pose an imminent threat. The state appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Wright, J.)

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A "yes" or "no" answer to the question framed in the issue section;
A summary of the majority or plurality opinion, using the CREAC method; and
The procedural disposition (e.g., reversed and remanded, affirmed, etc.).

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