Foucha v. Louisiana

Foucha v. Louisiana
Argued November 4, 1991
Decided May 18, 1992
Full case nameTerry Foucha v. State of Louisiana
Docket no.90-5844
Citations504 U.S. 71 (more)
112 S. Ct. 1780; 118 L. Ed. 2d 437; 1992 U.S. LEXIS 2703
Case history
PriorPetitioner's writ denied in State Court of Appeals, denial affirmed in State Supreme Court
Holding
Potential dangerousness is not a justification to commit a person found not guilty by reason of insanity if no mental illness is present.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
Byron White · Harry Blackmun
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Case opinions
MajorityWhite (Parts I, II), joined by O'Connor, Blackmun, Stevens, Souter
PluralityWhite (Part III), joined by Blackmun, Stevens, Souter
ConcurrenceO'Connor
DissentKennedy, joined by Rehnquist
DissentThomas, joined by Rehnquist, Scalia
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. XIV

Foucha v. Louisiana, 504 U.S. 71 (1992), was a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court addressed the criteria for the continued commitment of an individual who had been found not guilty by reason of insanity. The individual remained involuntarily confined on the justification that he was potentially dangerous even though he no longer suffered from the mental illness that served as a basis for his original commitment.[1]

  1. ^ Foucha v. Louisiana, 504 U.S. 71 (1992). Public domain This article incorporates public domain material from this U.S government document.