The right to choose?

James DiCioccio, a 43-year-old man who has been described as schizophrenic, is sitting in jail for punching and choking a man to death because he was “tired of the man bothering him.”

DiCioccio had a history of violence, and, on multiple occasions, police had been called to the group home where he lived because of DiCioccio’s violent outbursts.

According to Detective Sgt. John Kelty who is investigating:

“James R. DiCioccio, known as Dusty, had not been taking medications that would have allowed him to function. Caregivers at the facility for mentally ill men are not permitted to force residents to take their medications.”

A city health department nurse who inspects group homes said:

“Residents have a right to refuse medication. It's not desirable because most of the medicines are psychotropics that help with psychological disorders.”

Maybe now that DiCioccio is in jail on a murder charge, he will get the treatment he wasn’t able to ask for, but obviously needed.