Cohen v. Anne C.
Ms. C., a patient diagnosed with schizo-affective and bipolar disorders, appealed an August 2000 court order extending her Assisted Outpatient Treatment (A.O.T.) under New York's Kendra's Law (Mental Hygiene Law § 9.60). This case represents the first jury appeal of a Kendra's Law A.O.T. order. The court, presided over by Justice Norman C. Ryp, addressed novel procedural questions regarding the nature of the proceeding, the parties' roles, and the burden of proof. It concluded that the proceeding was an appeal, with Ms. C. as the appellant bearing the burden of proof by clear and convincing evidence, limited to the evidence presented at the initial August 2000 hearing. The jury verdict, rendered on March 8, 2001, affirmed the prior A.O.T. extension order.