The Heroin Bill
Casey's Law
Casey's Law refers to the Matthew Casey Wethington Act for Substance Abuse Intervention. Also known as the Heroin Bill, the law became effective in Kentucky in 2004 and was inspired by Casey Wethington's death of a heroin overdose at the age of 23.
The law allows the parents, relatives, or friends of an addicted person to lawfully intervene and request involuntary court-ordered addiction treatment for their addicted loved one.
The steps are as follows:
- The petitioner must complete the petition
- The petitioner will file the completed petition with the Circuit Court Clerk in their county
- The court will then review the petition and make a decision on its merit
- If the court finds there is probable cause to proceed with the process, the addicted person will be notified and a hearing will be scheduled within 14 days
- The addicted person will be assessed by two healthcare professionals, one of which must be a physician
- Following the hearing, the court will decide whether or not the addicted person must complete involuntary addiction treatment of 60 or up to 360 days
- The petitioner will be responsible for locating a treatment facility and paying for the treatment (if applicable) as well as transportation costs
Copies of the forms necessary to start this process can be obtained at the Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk in the Pulaski County Judicial Center Complex. If you need assistance after business hours, the Sheriff's Office will be happy to assist.
For additional information, visit the Casey's Law web site at: http://caseyslaw.org/KY_Files/About.htm
Click here for a copy of the Kentucky Revised Statute and description of the law.