Tuesday, Jute 17, 1 9.5

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Page Three

NEW BILLS WOULD RESTRICT PATIENT RELEASE
State may alter"mental health code

By BILL TURQUE
Recent murder charges against two
former Ypsilanti State Hospital patients,
Gary Addison Taylor and John McGee,
have sharpened statewide focus on pend-
ing legislation which would tighten re-
lease guidelines for mental patients and
broaden criteria for commitment to
state institutions.
The proposals are a djrect challenge
to the controversial 1974 McQuillan de-
cision, in which the state Supreme Court
upheld a Wayne County Circuit Court
ruling that the state's automatic commit-
nient statute was unconstitutional.
TiE COURT found that defendants
held to be "not guilty by reason of in-
sanity" (NGRI) could not be detained
in state mental institutions indefinitely.

Moreover, the court ruled that any
person found to be NGRI had to be
proven mentally ill and dangerous to
himself or others because of that illness
to be eligible for institutionalization.
The ruling threw the state's Depart-
ment of Mental Health into a turmoil,
with all inmates in Michigan mental in-
stitutions having to be re-evaluated ac-
cording to the new standards. Attorneys
began copping NGRI pleas for their
clients to avoid jail sentences.
OVER 150 mental patients were re-
leased under the provisions of McQuillan
-one of them was John McGee, who was
accused of murdering his wife one month
after his release.
The proposed revisions in the state
mental code are addressed to a serious

legal conflict facing the state: the bal-
ance between protection of the public
from dangerous mentally ill people, and
the constitutional rights of those incar-
cerated in state institutions.
The measures, according to Rep.
Joyce Symons (D-Allen Park), would
create a new verdict of "guilty, but
mentally ill" in which the defendant
would receive treatment at a state men-
tal instiution, and then be eligible to
serve time in a state correctional in-
stitution, or to be paroled, depending
upon the nature ofbthe offense.
THE OTHER measure proposes to
,widen commitment criteria to those per-
sons who are mentally ill, but incapable..
of realizing it. Symons thinks the meas-
ures, which have passed the House and

are now in the Senate Judiciary Commit-
tee, will help to insure that those in need
of treatment receive it.
"I knew a young man who was mental-
ly ill, and we had to wait until he slashed
his wrists before he could be commited,"
said Symons, who is Chairwoman of the
House Mental Health Committee.
Ironically, one of those responsible for
drafting this legislation is Dr. Ames
Robey, the recently suspended Director
of the Center for Forensic Psychiatry at
Ypsilanti State Hospital. Robey was sus-
penled last Wednesday pending an in-
vestigation of "possible administrative
irregularities" surrounding his 1972 re-
lease of Gary Taylor.
See LEGISLATURE, Page 7

Supreme Court puts
stop to some fixed
minimum legal fees

WASHINGTON (P) - The Su-
preme Court ruled yesterday
that minimum fee schedules es-
tablished by state or local bar
associations violate federal an-
titrust law whenever the fees
have a substantial effect on in-
terstate commerce.
Speaking through Chief Jus-
tice Warren Burger, the court
called such fee schedules "a
classic illustration of price fix-
ing."
MINIMUM legal-fee schedules
have been maintained by 34
states bar associations and
about 750 local bar groups in
recent years, although some
states have abandoned them in
the wake of legal challenges.
A spokesman for the Ameri-
can Bar Association said mini-
mum-fee schedules were cur-
rently in effect in about 20
states.
ABA President James Fellers
said the Supreme Court deci-
sion "basically restated what
the American Bar Association
and lawyers everywhere have
always known. In general, the
court has said the legal profes-
sion has an overriding respon-
sibility to serve the public"
"THE PROBLEM of minimum
fee schedules has raised many
questions," Fellers said. "The
Supreme Court answered some
of those questions. The opinion
was not unexpected and in my
view certainly will not make it
more difficult for the legal pro-
fession to carry out its duty"
However, Fellers said the rul-
ing "is complex and other cases
will have to be decided before

its full impact is understood."
In other action the court:
-Ruled 7 to 2 that laws for-
bidding advertising of abortion
services are an unconstitutional
abridgement of the freedom of
the press.
-Held by a 6 to 3 vote that
owners of cooperative apart-
ments may not sue under the
federal securities laws to chal-
lenge unexpected increases in
monthly charges.
--Upheld, 8 to 1, a Florida
robbery conviction of Ja c k
"Murph the Surf" Murphy, re-
jecting arguments he was de-
nied a fair trial because of pub-
licity about his past criminal
exploits including the 1964 theft
of -the Star of India sapphire
from a New York museum.
THE MINIMUM-FEE ached-
ules were challenged by a Res-
ton, Va., couple unable to find
a lawyer who would charge
them less than the prescribed
$522 to search the title of a
home they were buying.
The Fairfax County, Va., Bar
Association argued it was ex-
empt from the Sherman Anti-
trust Act on grounds that attor-
neys are members of a "learned
profession."
Rejecting this argument, the
court said the activities of law-
yers "play an important part in
commercial intercourse."
THE COURT said this did not
mean, however, that the same
antitrust concepts which apply
to business should be automati-
cally applied to the professions.

'lHOUSANDS of supporters of the Italian Communist Party demonstrate in Rome in front of
their party headquarters following yesterday's victories in the nation wide regional elections.
For the first time in Italian history the Communists led Marxist parties to a majority of thz
vote.a
Ia 1i e |St Wi SetS

ROME IAF) - Italy's powerful
(ommunist party scored im-
pressive gains yesterday in na-
tionwide regional elections, run-
ning nearly even with the gov-
erning Christian Democrats.
The Communists rode voter
discontent with the plunging
economy to become the biggest
single vote - winner in Rome,
Milan and Hurin.
ALTHOUGH the results
have no effect on the formation
of the- national. government,
they reinforced Communist de-
msands for inclusion in a coali-
lion In their 27 years at the
helm, theChristian Democrats
have consistently blocked any
such role for the Communists.
With nearly all of the votes
tallied, the Communists rolled
up 9.7 million votes, or 33.7 per
cent, to 10.1 million, or 35 per
cent, for Premier Aldo Moro's
Christian Democrats.
The figures, announced by
Interior Minister L u i g i Gui,
were based on returns from 58,-
000 of the country's 60,000 pre-
cincts.
IN TIE last regional elections
five Years ago, the Commun-
ists won only 28 per cent of the
vote while the Christian Demo-
crats gained 37.8 per cent

In the capital, the Commun-
ists chalked up 35 per cent to
the Christian Democrats, 28 per
cent. They also added the re-
gional legislature of Liguria, in
the Genoa area, to the three
they already control in Italy's
so-called "Red Belt" - Tusca-
ny, Emilia and Umbria.
However, the total leftists vote
of the Communists, Socialists
and two small Marxists groups
fell short of a majority at 47.1
per cent. Angela Consuelo, a
beauty shop owner in Rome,
said she had voted Commun-
ist after 15 years of backing the
Christian Democrats.
C 0 N S U E L 0, whose hus-
band is a minor government
official, said; "We have had
enough of a government that
never changes, enough of cor-
ruption, enough of extremist
frustration."
The two days of elections were
for 15 regional legislatures and
thousands of municipal councils
and did not involve seats in the
national parliament. But they
offered a test for the Christian
Democrats since their unexpect-
edly heavy defeat last year in
a national referendum on di-
vorce.

The Communist successes
were seen by many as a protest
vote against the long Christian
Democrat rule and alleged mis-
management, culminating in
the nation's worst economic
crisis since World War I.
Inflation, 25 per cent last year,
still rides at 20 per cent, sec-
ond only to Britain in the West.

State considers election bill

By CATHERINE REUTTER
Common Cause, a citizens' lobby is circulating
petitions supporting election reform legislation
now being considered by the state House and
Senate.
Identical proposals that would limit state of-
figials' campaign expenditures and require pub-
lic disclosure of campaign contributions were
submitted to both houses on May 20 in the form
of a 71 page bill.
"MILLIKEN and the Republican and Demo-
cratic leaders of both houses have pledged their
support of this bill," says Paul Metz, Ann Arbor
Common Cause spokesman. The organization is
circulating the petitions to demonstrate the grass
roots support for the legislations to doubting
represenatives.

"I think it will pass," says Representative
Perry Bullard (D-Ann Arbor), one of twenty
sponsors of the House bill, "but the governor is
backing off."
The bill has met some organized opposition
from third parties.
In addition, the Anierican Civil Liberties Union
objects to the bill, since all campaign contribu-
tions over $15 must be accompanied with the
contributors' identification.
ANN ARBOR Common Cause co-ordinator
Chris Moore claims the low ceiling is justified.
A $25 contribution from one person would not be
that influential, but "if every realtor in the state
gives $25 to a legislator's campaign," she specu-
lated, "he might feel obligated to them.
See STATE, Page 7