Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) Court

Update from Involuntary Treatment Act Court (ITA) regarding Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Activities

King County Superior Court is conducting all ITA hearings through video and telephonic appearances.

The Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) Court at Harborview Medical Center handles petitions for court-ordered mental health treatment which is not part of a criminal case. Under Washington Law, mentally disordered persons may be civilly committed to hospital or treatment settings, if a Superior Court judicial officer (judge or commissioner) finds that they pose a threat to themselves or others due to exhibited symptoms of mental illness. Each year roughly 4000 involuntary commitment petitions are filed in King County Superior Court.

Please Note: ITA court is not the same as King County District Court's Mental Health Court or Seattle Municipal Court's Mental Health Court. Those courts handle criminal cases. ITA Court handles civil commitments.

Contact / Visit the ITA Court

ITA Court
908 Jefferson St.
Ninth and Jefferson Building (NJB)

Margo.Burnison@KingCounty.gov
Involuntary Treatment Court Manager
(206) 263-8574

To obtain records of ITA Court proceedings, contact the Superior Court Clerk’s Office at (206) 296-9300, or view: Clerk's Records.

To visit the ITA Court, click HERE for directions.

By statute, the Prosecuting Attorney's Office is charged with representing the treatment facility seeking longer involuntary treatment. To Check in for a hearing, talk to a Prosecuting Attorney or if you have been issued a Subpoena, please call 206 744-7774. You will need to leave a message. For more information please click here.

The King County Department of Public Defense provides legal services to people committed to a mental health or substance abuse facility against their will. Contact DPD at (206) 477-9727 for more information.

You can find helpful court forms in the ITA Court Forms directory.