Addington v Texas; 30 Apr 1979

References: 60 L Ed 2d 323, 60 L Ed 323, 99 SCt 1804, 441 US 418
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Coram: Burger CJ
(US Supreme Court) To commit an individual to a mental institution in civil proceedings, the state was required by the ‘due process’ clause of the US Constitution to prove by clear and convincing evidence the statutory preconditions to commitment. That was an intermediate standard, between proof beyond reasonable doubt and proof on the preponderance of the evidence, which was held to strike a fair balance between the rights of the individual and the legitimate concerns of the state.
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