Questão jurídica principal
Whether refusing appointed counsel in the commitment appeal violated the constitutional right to free legal assistance.
Decisão extraída
Yes. Given the appellant's serious psychiatric condition and the case's impact on his legal position, the refusal of appointed counsel was unconstitutional.
Fundamentação extraída
In borderline cases involving involuntary commitment, legal aid should be granted when the person's mental condition raises serious doubts about the ability to defend rights effectively; the appellant's circumstances left such doubts, and his articulate appearance did not dispel them.