Code of the District of Columbia

§ 24–704. Right to counsel.

(a) A patient shall have the right to the assistance of counsel at every stage of the judicial proceeding under §§ 24-701 to 24-711, and the court shall assign counsel to represent him if the patient is unable to obtain counsel.

(b) The counsel for a patient may inspect the reports of the examination made pursuant to the authority contained in § 24-705. No such report and no evidence resulting from such personal examination or evidence offered by the patient shall be admissible against him in any judicial proceeding except a proceeding under §§ 24-701 to 24-711.

(c) The patient may, prior to the examination made pursuant to the provisions of § 24-705 or prior to the hearing provided for by § 24-707, waive his rights to an examination, to counsel, or to such hearing, and voluntarily submit himself to commitment pursuant to the provisions of §§ 24-701 to 24-711.