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. (June 24, 1953, 67 Stat. 78, ch. 149, § 7; July 24, 1956, 70 Stat. 610, ch. 676, title I, § 101.) Prior Codifications 1981 Ed., § 24-604. 1973 Ed., § 24-604.
District of Columbia Legal Code