Conservatorship of C.S. CA4/1

Filed 1/22/26 Conservatorship of C.S. CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Conservatorship of the Person of C.S.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY PUBLIC GUARDIAN, D087144 Petitioner and Respondent,

v. (Super. Ct. No. PRRI2402455) C.S.,

Objector and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Riverside County, Samuel Diaz, Jr., Judge. Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with instructions. Suzanne M. Davidson, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Objector and Appellant. Stacy Keffer, Office of the County Counsel; Smith Law Offices, Douglas C. Smith and Julian V. Lee, for Petitioner and Respondent.

After determining C.S.’s mental health rendered her “gravely disabled” 1 under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (the LPS Act) (Welf. & Inst. Code, § 5000 et seq.), the trial court imposed a one-year conservatorship over her and further ordered, consistent with the parties’ stipulation, that the least restrictive level of placement was a closed, locked facility. C.S. contends that her due process rights were violated because she did not consent to the least restrictive placement or the imposed disabilities of the conservatorship 2 judgment. We agree. Accordingly, we reverse the portion of the judgment determining placement and imposing disabilities and remand for the court to verify C.S.’s consent to the terms of the conservatorship judgment on the record or, alternatively, to hold a hearing on these matters. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND C.S. is an elderly woman with a history of schizophrenia and other mental health disorders. Over the last several years, C.S. has been admitted to over 20 hospitals for matters related to her mental health, demonstrated an inability to voluntarily take prescribed medications in an outpatient setting, and failed to maintain consistent shelter when not at a hospital or treatment program. In September 2024, the Riverside County Public Guardian (the County) petitioned for it to be appointed C.S.’s permanent conservator. The County asserted that C.S., as a result of her mental health disorder, could not provide for her basic needs and was unwilling to accept treatment.