PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal judge found the Oregon Health Authority in contempt of court on Friday, determining that it has failed to follow court orders requiring it to promptly admit mentally ill defendants to the state psychiatric hospital.

The ruling means that fines will soon start racking up, and plaintiffs in the case hope that it will force Oregon to make major changes to its mental health system. Criminal defendants with mental health needs are otherwise made to wait in jails, sometimes for weeks at a time, before being admitted to the Oregon State Hospital.

"Today’s ruling is a major win for our clients whose Constitutional rights have been violated while they suffer in jail instead of receiving the court-ordered mental health restoration services they need,” said Jake Cornett

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