Federal appeals court reverses ruling that found Mississippi discriminated in mental health care
A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling that found Mississippi relies too much on institutionalizing people with mental health conditions rather than providing care in their communities
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling that found Mississippi relies too much on institutionalizing people with mental health conditions rather than providing care in their communities.
The decision came Wednesday from three judges on the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They wrote that the federal government, which sued Mississippi, failed to prove that the state discriminated against people with mental health conditions in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The appeals court judges also wrote that a remedial order by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves, which sought to make changes in Mississippi's mental health system, "vastly exceeds the scope of claimed liability.”
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch's office argued that the appeals court should overturn the district judge's ruling. Republican Fitch applauded the ruling Wednesday, saying federal agencies have used the threat of lawsuits “to coerce Mississippi and other states into adopting their preferred policies and budget priorities.”
