New York Bill Aims to Help Mentally Ill Defendants After Trial

Taylor Swift's stalker case has inspired a new bill in New York. This bill is about people who can't go to trial because of mental health issues. Right now, these people get their cases thrown out and are sent home after three days. The new bill wants to change that. It wants to make sure these people get help after they're released. The bill is called the "SUPPORT Act". It would give defendants case workers who would help them get treatment. This could be by visiting them at home or in their community. The hospital that releases them would also help make these referrals. The goal of this bill is to make sure these people don't get in trouble again. It also wants to lower the risk of them being victims of a crime. The bill's backers say the law doesn't make sense right now. They think people who can't stand trial should get help, not just be sent back out into the community. Taylor Swift's stalker, David Crowe, is an example of why this bill is needed. He was found mentally unfit to stand trial. But he was sent to a hospital for more treatment instead of being released. This showed that there could be another way to handle these cases. The bill only applies to misdemeanor cases. Felony cases already have rules about what happens to people who can't stand trial. But misdemeanor cases don't have these rules. This is why the bill is needed. The bill's sponsors, Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblyman Tony Simone, say this is a big issue in New York City. They think this bill will help people get the help they need.

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