Detention Because of Disturbance at the Courthouse

In Broussard v. State, 827 S.W.2d 619, 620 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 1992, no writ) Broussard was initially detained because she caused a disturbance at the courthouse, insisting she was an attorney and demanding her case be heard. Broussard, 827 S.W.2d at 620. Broussard had delusions she was an attorney, an FBI agent, and a former medical student; that one of the psychiatrists and the trial court judge were mass murderers she previously convicted; one of the male psychiatrists was actually a woman dressed as a man; and staff at the mental health center were felons she had put in jail. 827 S.W.2d at 620-21. The doctors described her as hostile and making provocative statements to others, and stated she was likely to be in danger from retaliation as a result of her delusional behavior. 827 S.W.2d at 621. Broussard often refused to take her medication, based on her ideas of "positive" and "negative" blood signs. Id. Still, the court held the evidence might be sufficient to show her mental illness, but did not sufficiently show deterioration of her ability to function. 827 S.W.2d at 622. "Delusions themselves and vague generalizations about the patient's behavior and provocative statements during hospitalization, without further factual elaboration, do not show deterioration of the ability to function independently." Id.