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SoCal Connected
Laura's Law Could Allow Forced Treatment for Mentally Ill
In 2004, California passed Laura's Law, named after Laura Wilcox, a 19-year-old mental health worker killed by a man who had refused psychiatric treatment. The law allows a court to order psychiatric treatment for persons with serious mental illness who make threats of violence. As it stands, only Nevada County, where Wilcox was killed, enforces the legislation. Correspondent Vince Gonzales looks at the controversial law, and whether it will get more traction in the wake of the Newtown massacre.