addington texas argued november decided april appellant mother filed petition indefinite commitment state mental hospital accordance texas law governing involuntary commitments appellant long history confinements mental emotional disorders state trial instructed jury determine whether based clear unequivocal convincing evidence appellant mentally ill required hospitalization welfare protection protection others appellant contended trial employed beyond reasonable doubt standard proof jury found appellant mentally ill required hospitalization trial ordered commitment indefinite period texas appeals reversed agreeing appellant issue texas reversed appeals decision reinstated trial judgment concluding preponderance evidence standard proof civil commitment proceeding satisfied due process since trial improper instructions instant case benefited appellant error harmless held clear convincing standard proof required fourteenth amendment civil proceeding brought state law commit individual involuntarily indefinite period state mental hospital pp individual liberty interest outcome civil commitment proceeding weight gravity compared state interests providing care citizens unable emotional disorders care protecting community dangerous tendencies mentally ill due process requires state justify confinement proof substantial mere preponderance evidence pp due process require use beyond reasonable doubt standard proof applicable criminal prosecutions delinquency proceedings winship distinguished standard inappropriate civil commitment proceedings given uncertainties psychiatric diagnosis may impose burden state meet thereby erect unreasonable barrier needed medical treatment state required employ standard proof may completely undercut efforts legitimate interests state patient served civil commitments pp meet due process demands commitment proceedings standard proof inform factfinder proof must greater standard applicable categories civil cases however use term unequivocal conjunction terms clear convincing jury instructions included instructions given texas state case constitutionally required although free use standard pp burger delivered opinion members joined except powell took part consideration decision case martha boston appointment argued cause appellant brief robert plotkin paul friedman james hury argued cause filed brief appellee joel klein argued cause filed brief american psychiatric assn amicus curiae urging affirmance ronald soskin filed brief national center law handicapped amicus curiae urging reversal briefs amici curiae filed william scott attorney general bernard carey alan grischke special assistant attorney general henry hauser state illinois john townsend rich national assn mental health et al chief justice burger delivered opinion question case standard proof required fourteenth amendment constitution civil proceeding brought state law commit individual involuntarily indefinite period state mental hospital seven occasions appellant committed temporarily tex rev civ stat arts vernon supp various texas state mental hospitals committed indefinite periods arts austin state hospital three different occasions december appellant arrested misdemeanor charge assault threat mother country state mental health authorities therefore well aware history mental emotional difficulties appellant mother filed petition indefinite commitment accordance texas law country psychiatric examiner interviewed appellant custody interview issued certificate medical examination mental illness certificate examiner stated opinion appellant mentally ill require hospitalization mental hospital art vernon appellant retained counsel trial held jury determine accord statute whether proposed patient mentally ill whether requires hospitalization mental hospital welfare protection protection others whether mentally incompetent art vernon state offered evidence appellant suffered serious delusions often threatened injure parents others involved several assaultive episodes hospitalized caused substantial property damage apartment parents home undisputed facts two psychiatrists qualified experts expressed opinions appellant suffered psychotic schizophrenia paranoid tendencies also expressed medical opinions appellant probably dangerous others explained appellant required hospitalization closed area treat condition past refused attend outpatient treatment programs escaped several times mental hospitals appellant contest factual assertions made state witnesses indeed conceded suffered mental illness appellant attempted show substantial basis concluding probably dangerous others trial judge submitted case jury instructions form two questions based clear unequivocal convincing evidence frank addington mentally ill based clear unequivocal convincing evidence frank addington require hospitalization mental hospital welfare protection protection others jury found appellant mentally ill required hospitalization others welfare trial entered order committing appellant patient austin state hospital indefinite period appellant appealed order texas civil appeals arguing among things standards commitment violated substantive due process rights standard proof commitment less required criminal convictions beyond reasonable doubt violated procedural due process rights civil appeals agreed appellant issue reversed judgment trial treatment standard proof consider issues raised appeal appeal texas reversed civil appeal decision holding relied primarily upon previous decision state turner cert denied turner texas held preponderance evidence standard proof civil commitment proceeding satisfied due process declined adopt criminal law standard beyond reasonable doubt primarily questioned whether state prove exacting standard particular person dangerous future also distinguished civil commitment criminal conviction noting texas law mentally ill patient right treatment periodic review condition immediate release longer deemed danger others finally turner rejected clear convincing evidence standard texas rules procedure juries instructed preponderance standard proof reaffirming turner texas case concluded trial instruction jury although conformity legal requirements benefited appellant hence error harmless accordingly reinstated judgment trial noted probable jurisdiction oral argument became clear challenge constitutionality texas statute presented appeal authorized accordingly construing papers filed petition writ certiorari grant petition ii function standard proof concept embodied due process clause realm factfinding instruct factfinder concerning degree confidence society thinks correctness factual conclusions particular type adjudication winship harlan concurring standard serves allocate risk error litigants indicate relative importance attached ultimate decision generally speaking evolution area law produced across continuum three standards levels proof different types cases one end spectrum typical civil case involving monetary dispute private parties since society minimal concern outcome private suits plaintiff burden proof mere preponderance evidence litigants thus share risk error roughly equal fashion criminal case hand interests defendant magnitude historically without explicit constitutional requirement protected standards proof designed exclude nearly possible likelihood erroneous judgment administration criminal justice society imposes almost entire risk error upon accomplished requiring due process clause state prove guilt accused beyond reasonable doubt winship supra intermediate standard usually employs combination words clear cogent unequivocal convincing less commonly used nonetheless stranger civil law woodby ins see also mccormick evidence wigmore evidence ed one typical use standard civil cases involving allegations fraud wrongdoing defendant interests stake cases deemed substantial mere loss money jurisdictions accordingly reduce risk defendant reputation tarnished erroneously increasing plaintiff burden proof similarly used clear unequivocal convincing standard proof protect particularly important individual interests various civil cases see woodby ins supra deportation chaunt denaturalization schneiderman denaturalization candor suggests degree efforts analyze lay jurors understand concerning differences among three tests nuances judge instructions law may well largely academic exercise directly relevant empirical studies indeed ultimate truth standards proof affect decisionmaking may well unknowable given factfinding process shared countless thousands individuals throughout country probably assume difference preponderance evidence proof beyond reasonable doubt probably better understood either relation intermediate standard clear convincing evidence nonetheless even particular catchwords always make great difference particular case adopting standard proof empty semantic exercise tippett maryland sobeloff concurring part dissenting part cert dismissed sub nom murel baltimore city criminal cases involving individual rights whether criminal civil standard proof minimum reflects value society places individual liberty iii considering standard govern civil commitment proceeding must assess extent individual interest involuntarily confined indefinitely state interest committing emotionally disturbed particular standard proof moreover must mindful function legal process minimize risk erroneous decisions see mathews eldridge speiser randall repeatedly recognized civil commitment purpose constitutes significant deprivation liberty requires due process protection see jackson indiana humphrey cady gault specht patterson moreover indisputable involuntary commitment mental hospital finding probable dangerousness self others engender adverse social consequences individual whether label phenomena stigma choose call something else less important recognize occur significant impact individual state legitimate interest parens patriae powers providing care citizens unable emotional disorders care state also authority police power protect community dangerous tendencies mentally ill texas mental health code however state interest confining individuals involuntarily mentally ill pose danger others since preponderance standard creates risk increasing number individuals erroneously committed least unclear extent state interests furthered using preponderance standard commitment proceedings expanding concern society problems mental disorders reflected fact recent years many enacted statutes designed protect rights mentally ill however one state statute permits involuntary commitment mere preponderance evidence miss code ann supp texas state concluded standard satisfies due process attribute lack concern rather belief varying standards tend produce comparable results noted earlier however standards proof important symbolic meaning well practical effect one time another every person exhibits abnormal behavior might perceived symptomatic mental emotional disorder fact within range conduct generally acceptable obviously behavior basis compelled treatment surely none confinement however possible risk factfinder might decide commit individual based solely isolated instances unusual conduct loss liberty calls showing individual suffers something serious demonstrated idiosyncratic behavior increasing burden proof one way impress factfinder importance decision thereby perhaps reduce chances inappropriate commitments ordered individual asked share equally society risk error possible injury individual significantly greater possible harm state conclude individual interest outcome civil commitment proceeding weight gravity due process requires state justify confinement proof substantial mere preponderance evidence appellant urges hold due process requires use criminal law standard proof beyond reasonable doubt argues rationale winship holding criminal law standard proof required delinquency proceeding applies equal force civil commitment proceeding winship background gradual assimilation juvenile proceedings traditional criminal prosecutions declined allow state civil labels good intentions obviate need criminal due process safeguards juvenile courts saw controlling difference loss liberty stigma conviction adult delinquency adjudication juvenile winship recognized basic issue whether individual fact committed criminal act proceedings meaningful distinctions two proceedings required state prove juvenile act intent beyond reasonable doubt significant reasons different standards proof called civil commitment proceedings opposed criminal prosecutions civil commitment state power exercised punitive sense unlike delinquency proceeding winship civil commitment proceeding sense equated criminal prosecution cf woodby ins addition beyond reasonable doubt standard historically reserved criminal cases unique standard proof prescribed defined constitution regarded critical part moral force criminal law winship hesitate apply broadly casually noncriminal cases cf ibid heavy standard applied criminal cases manifests concern risk error individual must minimized even risk guilty might go free patterson new york full force idea apply civil commitment may true erroneous commitment sometimes undesirable erroneous conviction wigmore evidence chadbourn rev however even though erroneous confinement avoided first instance layers professional review observation patient condition concern family friends generally provide continuous opportunities erroneous commitment corrected moreover true release genuinely mentally ill person worse individual failure convict guilty one suffering debilitating mental illness need treatment neither wholly liberty free stigma see chodoff case involuntary hospitalization mentally ill psychiatry schwartz myers astrachan psychiatric labeling rehabilitation mental patient arch psychiatry said therefore much better mentally ill person go free mentally normal person committed finally initial inquiry civil commitment proceeding different central issue either delinquency proceeding criminal prosecution latter cases basic issue straightforward factual question accused commit act alleged may factual issues resolve commitment proceeding factual aspects represent beginning inquiry whether individual mentally ill dangerous either others need confined therapy turns meaning facts must interpreted expert psychiatrists psychologists given lack certainty fallibility psychiatric diagnosis serious question whether state ever prove beyond reasonable doubt individual mentally ill likely dangerous see donaldson concurring opinion blocker app opinion concurring result see also tippett maryland sobeloff concurring part dissenting part note civil commitment mentally ill theories procedures harv rev note due process development criminal safeguards civil commitment adjudications ford rev subtleties nuances psychiatric diagnosis render certainties virtually beyond reach situations standard criminal law functions realm standard addressed specific knowable facts psychiatric diagnosis contrast large extent based medical impressions drawn subjective analysis filtered experience diagnostician process often makes difficult expert physician offer definite conclusions particular patient within medical discipline traditional standard factfinding reasonable medical certainty trained psychiatrist difficulty categorical beyond reasonable doubt standard untrained lay juror indeed even trained judge required rely upon expert opinion forced criminal law standard proof reject commitment many patients desperately need institutionalized psychiatric care see ibid freedom mentally ill person purchased high price practical considerations may limit constitutionally based burden proof demonstrated standard compromise possible prove protects rights individual state required guarantee convictions required prove guilt beyond doubt however ue process require every conceivable step taken whatever cost eliminate possibility convicting innocent person patterson new york supra state required employ standard proof may completely undercut efforts legitimate interests state patient served civil commitments chosen either legislatively judicially adopt criminal law standard gives assurance stringent standard proof needed even adaptable needs essence federalism must free develop variety solutions problems forced common uniform mold substantive standards civil commitment may vary state state procedures must allowed vary long meet constitutional minimum see monahan wexler definite maybe proof probability civil commitment law human behavior share standard proof involuntary civil commitment proceedings detroit college rev conclude unnecessary require apply strict criminal standard concluded preponderance standard falls short meeting demands due process standard required turn middle level burden proof strikes fair balance rights individual legitimate concerns state note statute employ standard clear convincing evidence use clear cogent convincing evidence require clear unequivocal convincing evidence woodby ins dealing deportation schneiderman dealing denaturalization held clear unequivocal convincing evidence appropriate standard proof term unequivocal taken means proof admits doubt burden approximating exceeding used criminal cases issues schneiderman woodby basically factual therefore susceptible objective proof consequences individual unusually drastic loss citizenship expulsion concluded standard inappropriate civil commitment proceedings given uncertainties psychiatric diagnosis may impose burden state meet thereby erect unreasonable barrier needed medical treatment similarly conclude use term unequivocal constitutionally required although free use standard meet due process demands standard inform factfinder proof must greater standard applicable categories civil cases noted earlier trial employed standard clear unequivocal convincing evidence appellant commitment hearing jury instruction constitutionally adequate however determination precise burden equal greater clear convincing standard hold required meet due process guarantees matter state law leave texas accordingly remand case proceedings inconsistent opinion vacated remanded footnotes compare morano reexamination development reasonable doubt rule rev reasonable doubt represented less strict standard previous rules may rules evidence rev reasonable doubt constituted stricter rule previous ones see generally underwood thumb scales justice burdens persuasion criminal cases yale efforts evaluate effect varying standards proof jury factfinding see jury project juries rules evidence crim rev found study comparing three standards proof determine juries real mock apply state texas confines purpose providing care designed treat individual texas said state turner involuntary mental patient entitled treatment periodic recurrent review mental condition release time longer presents danger others haw rev stat supp idaho code supp stat ann mont rev codes ann supp okla tit supp rev stat utah code ann stat supp superintendent worcester state hospital hagberg mass proctor butler hodges lausche commissioner public welfare cert denied see also super app div cert denied denton commonwealth app dicta rev stat ann rev stat supp stat del code tit supp code rev ch supp iowa code la rev stat ann west supp rev stat tit stat ann neb rev stat stat ann cent code ohio rev code ann supp stat tit purdon supp code supp comp laws ann stat tit supp md dept health mental hygiene reg beverly stat supp rev code state ex rel hawks lazaro code supp code ann supp see webster third new international dictionary noted earlier holding harmless error see supra