HELENA — The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling, finding that Lloyd Barrus, accused of taking part in the killing of a Broadwater County Sheriff's deputy, can be forcibly medicated.
Authorities say that Lloyd Barrus’ son Marshall shot and killed Deputy Mason Moore near Three Forks on May 16, 2017. Lloyd and Marshall then led officers on a chase that ended near Missoula.
Marshall was killed in a shootout with officers. Lloyd was charged with five felonies, including deliberate homicide by accountability. However, he was found mentally unfit to stand trial and refused treatment at the Montana State Hospital.
Doctors at the Montana State Hospital say Barrus suffers from persecutory type delusional disorder, mixed personality disorder, and alcohol and marijuana use disorders of unknown severity.
The state went back to court to seek to forcibly medicate Barrus to get him to a state where he could be tried.
Judge Kathy Seeley ruled in May of 2019 that Barrus could be forcibly medicated. His attorneys appealed that ruling to the Montana Supreme Court.
In medicating Barrus, doctors are required to follow all appropriate safety measures, monitor Barrus for potential side effects, and update the court on the status of the treatment and requests for changes to the treatment plan.
