What is an emergency custody order?
An emergency custody order is a judicial order which commands that a person be taken into custody and transported to a convenient location to be evaluated by a person designated by the local community services board who is skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in order to assess the need for hospitalization. The evaluator must immediately assess the subject, who is required to remain in custody until a temporary detention order is issued or the evaluator releases him. The maximum period of detention is four hours. 2. Who issues it? The magistrate of the jurisdiction where the subject resides issues the ECO. The telephone number for the Richmond magistrate is 804/646-6689. Directions are available here. 3. Who may request the issuance of an emergency custody order? Any person may request it. 4. What are the legal standards for issuance of an emergency custody order? The magistrate must be persuaded that the subject probably suffers from mental illness and probably req
