Nevada Revised Statutes

Nev. Rev. Stat. § 178.425 (2026)

Procedure on finding defendant incompetent; order for involuntary administration of psychiatric medication

✓ current as of July 2026
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NRS 178.425  Procedure on finding defendant incompetent; order for involuntary administration of psychiatric medication.

      1.  If the court finds the defendant incompetent, and dangerous to himself or herself or to society and that commitment is required for a determination of the defendant’s ability to receive treatment to competency and to attain competence, the judge shall order the sheriff to convey the defendant forthwith, together with a copy of the complaint, the commitment and the physicians’ certificate, if any, into the custody of the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee for detention and treatment at a division facility that is secure, a facility for the treatment of defendants to competency established within a county jail or detention facility pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 178.426 or another location to receive services through a program established pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 178.426, as determined after a clinical review conducted pursuant to subsection 2. If the treating psychiatrist of the defendant determines that psychiatric medication is necessary to restore the defendant to competency and the defendant refuses to take such medication voluntarily, the prosecuting attorney may seek an order for the involuntary administration of psychiatric medication to the defendant.

      2.  After the court orders a defendant into the custody of the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee pursuant to subsection 1, the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee shall perform a clinical review of the defendant to determine whether the defendant would most appropriately be placed in a division facility that is secure, a facility for the treatment of defendants to competency established within a county jail or detention facility pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 178.426 or another location to receive services through a program established pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 178.426. An organization that enters into a contract with the Administrator pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 178.426 may not perform such a review.

      3.  A defendant committed into the custody of the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee must be held in such custody until a court orders the defendant’s release or until the defendant is returned for trial or judgment as provided in NRS 178.450, 178.455 and 178.460.

      4.  If the court finds the defendant incompetent but not dangerous to himself or herself or to society, and finds that commitment is not required for a determination of the defendant’s ability to receive treatment to competency and to attain competence, the judge shall order the defendant to report to the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee as an outpatient for treatment, if it might be beneficial, and for a determination of the defendant’s ability to receive treatment to competency and to attain competence. The court may require the defendant to give bail for any periodic appearances before the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee.

      5.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, proceedings against the defendant must be suspended until the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee or, if the defendant is charged with a misdemeanor, the judge finds the defendant capable of standing trial or opposing pronouncement of judgment as provided in NRS 178.400.

      6.  Whenever the defendant has been found incompetent, with no substantial probability of attaining competency in the foreseeable future, and released from custody or from obligations as an outpatient pursuant to paragraph (d) of subsection 4 of NRS 178.460, the proceedings against the defendant which were suspended must be dismissed. No new charge arising out of the same circumstances may be brought except upon application by the prosecuting attorney to the chief judge of the district court, or his or her designee, and with leave of the court where:

      (a) The State has a good faith belief, based on articulable facts, that the defendant has attained competency;

      (b) The State has a compelling interest in bringing charges again; and

      (c) The period, equal to the maximum time allowed by law for commencing a criminal action for the crime with which the defendant was charged, has not lapsed since the date of the alleged offense.

Ê The prosecuting attorney must give notice of an application made pursuant to this subsection to the attorney for the defendant not less than 24 hours before the hearing on the application.

      7.  If a defendant is found incompetent pursuant to this section, the court shall cause, within 5 business days after the finding, on a form prescribed by the Department of Public Safety, a record of that finding to be transmitted to the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History, along with a statement indicating that the record is being transmitted for inclusion in each appropriate database of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

      8.  As used in this section, “National Instant Criminal Background Check System” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 179A.062.

      [1911 Cr. Prac. § 540; RL § 7390; NCL § 11188]—(NRS A 1967, 1450; 1968, 52; 1971, 313; 1973, 93, 252, 1406; 1981, 1656; 1991, 1003; 1999, 104; 2001, 1084; 2003, 1947; 2009, 2487; 2015, 1798; 2017, 2996; 2025, 3119, 3511)

     

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 27 cases (15 in the last 5 years), 1970–2026 · leading case: Woerner v. Just. Court, 1 P.3d 377 (Nev. 2000).
Woerner v. Just. Court, 1 P.3d 377 (Nev. 2000). · cites it 11× “Based on these findings, the district court ordered that petitioner be involuntarily committed to the Nevada Mental Health Institute and that the case *521 be dismissed, pursuant to NRS 178.425, 1 because petitioner had no substantial probability of attaining competency in the…”
Scarbo v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Court, 206 P.3d 975 (Nev. 2009). · cites it 2× “If the court finds that the defendant is incompetent, the court shall order psychiatric treatment, consistent with NRS 178.425, which may include the involuntary administration of medication.”
O'GUINN v. State, 59 P.3d 488 (Nev. 2002). · cites it 2× “Pursuant to NRS 178.425, the district court ordered O'Guinn committed to Lakes Crossing and suspended all proceedings until such time as O'Guinn was found competent to stand trial.”
Price (anthony) v. Dist. Ct. (state), 567 P.3d 319 (Nev. 2025). · cites it 26× “: When a defendant who is charged with a felony is found incornpetent to stand trial, NRS 178.425 mandates that proceedings against the defendant must be suspended until the Administrator of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, or their designee, determines competency…”
Hager v. State, 447 P.3d 1063 (Nev. 2019). “539(4) (same, for a defendant who is acquitted by reason of insanity); NRS 178.425(6) (same, for a defendant who is found incompetent to stand trial); NRS 433A.”
Ford v. Second Jud. Dist. Court, Etc., 635 P.2d 578 (Nev. 1981). · cites it 3× “On January 29, 1981, she was found to be incompetent to stand trial and was committed pursuant to NRS 178.425. 1 On April 29, 1981, petitioner was ordered to submit to treatment including the administration of drugs.”
Craig v. Hocker, 405 F. Supp. 656 (D. Nev. 1975). “The warden shall provide a facility for the detention and treatment of such persons committed to the custody of the administrator of the mental hygiene and mental retardation division of the department of human resources pursuant to NRS 178.425 as the administrator may deem it…”
Melnek v. Las Vegas Metro. Police Dep't (D. Nev. 2024). · cites it 5× “Lines 6 through 17 describe the requirements of NRS § 178.425(1) but 24 contain no factual allegations regarding what the LVMPD Defendants did or did not do in this 25 case.”
Ashraf (Farid) v. Dist. Ct. (State) (Nev. 2017). · cites it 4× “3d at 978 ; commit the defendant to evaluation and treatment, NRS 178.425(1); and conduct regular hearings regarding the findings of the treatment team, NRS 178.”
State v. Gonzalez (Nev. 2023). · cites it 4× “he criminal complaint pursuant to NRS 178.425(5), nor did it make the required finding that there was no substantial probability that Gonzalez would attain competency in the foreseeable future under the statute.”
State, Dep't of Health v. Dist. Ct. (Nev. 2023). · cites it 4× “Defendants were all deemed incompetent to assist in their own defense and ordered to psychiatric treatment under NRS 178.425. After significant delays in accepting defendants for treatment, defendants filed motions to dismiss their cases or, alternatively, for DPBH to show cause…”
Mont Ser v. Seabock, Deputy Chief (D. Nev. 2022). · cites it 4× “6 Regarding the first case, which was assigned case number C-22-367174-1 at the state 7 district court, an order of commitment pursuant to Nev. Rev. Stat. § 178.425 was entered on 8 September 7, 2022.”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 178.425(1) — 7 cases
Scarbo v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Court, 206 P.3d 975 (Nev. 2009). “If the court finds that the defendant is incompetent, the court shall order psychiatric treatment, consistent with NRS 178.425, which may include the involuntary administration of medication.”
Ford v. Second Jud. Dist. Court, Etc., 635 P.2d 578 (Nev. 1981). “On January 29, 1981, she was found to be incompetent to stand trial and was committed pursuant to NRS 178.425. 1 On April 29, 1981, petitioner was ordered to submit to treatment including the administration of drugs.”
Melnek v. Las Vegas Metro. Police Dep't (D. Nev. 2024). “Lines 6 through 17 describe the requirements of NRS § 178.425(1) but 24 contain no factual allegations regarding what the LVMPD Defendants did or did not do in this 25 case.”
State, Dep't of Health v. Dist. Ct. (Nev. 2023). “Defendants were all deemed incompetent to assist in their own defense and ordered to psychiatric treatment under NRS 178.425. After significant delays in accepting defendants for treatment, defendants filed motions to dismiss their cases or, alternatively, for DPBH to show cause…”
State v. Desavio (matthew), 141 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 25 (Nev. 2025).
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 178.425(4) — 2 cases
Price (anthony) v. Dist. Ct. (state), 567 P.3d 319 (Nev. 2025). “: When a defendant who is charged with a felony is found incornpetent to stand trial, NRS 178.425 mandates that proceedings against the defendant must be suspended until the Administrator of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, or their designee, determines competency…”
Price (D. Nev. 2025).
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 178.425(5) — 11 cases
Woerner v. Just. Court, 1 P.3d 377 (Nev. 2000). “Based on these findings, the district court ordered that petitioner be involuntarily committed to the Nevada Mental Health Institute and that the case *521 be dismissed, pursuant to NRS 178.425, 1 because petitioner had no substantial probability of attaining competency in the…”
State v. Gonzalez (Nev. 2023). “he criminal complaint pursuant to NRS 178.425(5), nor did it make the required finding that there was no substantial probability that Gonzalez would attain competency in the foreseeable future under the statute.”
Rogers v. State of Nevada, 142 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 3 (Nev. 2026).
Ashraf (Farid) v. Dist. Ct. (State) (Nev. 2017). “3d at 978 ; commit the defendant to evaluation and treatment, NRS 178.425(1); and conduct regular hearings regarding the findings of the treatment team, NRS 178.”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 178.425(6) — 2 cases
Hager v. State, 447 P.3d 1063 (Nev. 2019). “539(4) (same, for a defendant who is acquitted by reason of insanity); NRS 178.425(6) (same, for a defendant who is found incompetent to stand trial); NRS 433A.”
Hager (ian) Vs. State, 2019 NV 34 (Nev. 2019).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.