New Iowa law requires hospitals to notify police before releasing “mental patients”

Closer to home, Iowa Governor Chet Culver signed into law a measure that forces hospitals to notify the police before releasing "mental patients" that either have been arrested or subject to arrest (Iowa gov. signs bill sparked by h.s. coach killing, The Washington Post, March 24, 2010).  The new law came about after a popular high school coach was shot and killed by a former student/player who had recently been released from a local hospital.  Prior to the shooting, the former student had been arrested by police and taken to the hospital for a psych evaluation.  The "law lets police demand that someone taken into custody be evaluated by mental health professionals and possibly hospitalized.  If there is a warrant pending or police plan to make an arrest, a judge or officer may require that police be notified before the patient is released."  To read more . . .