From Deseret News archives:
Woman who won suit over commitment dies
Petty died Thursday in a San Angelo hospital.
She was 16 when her family committed her to a state hospital in 1934. While state officials say she had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, her attorneys and a witness in the lawsuit said she had briefly suffered from a psychotic depression but was never schizophrenic.
Dr. Jef Nelson, a psychiatrist, said Petty's psychotic symptoms quickly subsided, and she should have been released. But she remained institutionalized until she was placed in a foster home in 1985.
Jurors in 1989 found the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation negligent and awarded her $505,000. She ultimately received about $350,000 after the award was reduced in accordance with a state law limiting damages in lawsuits caused by the actions of state employees.
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