211174P.pdf   08/25/2021  United States  v.  Johnathan Mitchell
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  21-1174
   U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa - Cedar Rapids   
   [PUBLISHED] [Kelly, Author, with Loken and Erickson, Circuit Judges] 
   Criminal case - Competency - Involuntary Medication. Given the purpose of 
   involuntary medication under Sell v. U.S., 539 U.S. 166 (2003) is to 
   ensure the defendant is competent enough to participate in trial, adopting 
   a rule that categorically prohibits the involuntary medication of a 
   defendant who had regained competency for some period of time, but is 
   unable to maintain it, would frustrate that purpose where an important 
   governmental interest is at stake; accordingly, the district court did not 
   err in concluding it had the authority to order defendant's involuntary 
   medication for the purpose of rendering and maintaining his competency for 
   trial; the district court's order is narrowly tailored to minimize the 
   intrusion on defendant's protected liberty interests while furthering the 
   government's interest in timely prosecution.