DEFENDANT #15: STEPHANIE CLENDENIN (The Vernon Patterson Dossier)

 

Role in People v. Michael Taylor (XNEGA111132)
Stephanie Clendenin, as the appointed Director of the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH), holds statutory control over the admission, confinement, and treatment of individuals committed to state mental health facilities, including Metropolitan State Hospital, where Mr. Taylor was unlawfully confined.

Despite jurisdictional defects in the court record — namely, the absence of a valid, signed judicial order authorizing the original Penal Code § 730 evaluation, and procedural irregularities surrounding the subsequent § 1368 suspension — Clendenin’s agency accepted the transfer and admitted Mr. Taylor into state custody, effectively enforcing a false imprisonment under color of mental health law.


Summary of Involvement
Under California law, the Department of State Hospitals may only accept individuals for commitment when jurisdictional criteria are lawfully met: a valid court order, supported by procedural findings, and clear statutory authorization under the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act or relevant sections of the Penal Code. In People v. Michael Taylor, these requirements were not met.

• The psychiatric evaluation by Dr. Pietro D’Ingillo was initiated without a lawful court order;
• The sealed order supposedly authorizing the § 730 exam has never been produced, served, or verified on record;
• The § 1368 competency suspension was premised entirely on that defective evaluation;
• The eventual commitment to Metropolitan State Hospital occurred without proper jurisdictional review, Faretta advisement, or valid commitment documentation.

Despite these fatal procedural defects — which Mr. Taylor actively objected to in writing and in court — the Department under Clendenin’s leadership admitted him anyway, triggering forced psychiatric detention and attempted involuntary medication. This act constituted a direct violation of DSH’s duty to reject defective referrals and to safeguard the due process rights of incoming patients.

Moreover, as the official final signer on DSH policy and procedures, Clendenin is directly responsible for any commitment accepted under unlawful circumstances, particularly where constitutional rights are in dispute. The department’s acceptance of Mr. Taylor’s commitment, under her authority, converted courtroom fraud into bodily captivity.


Why She Is Defendant #15 in the Dossier:

• Admitted Mr. Taylor into state psychiatric custody without verifying valid court authority, violating statutory standards under California Penal Code §§ 1370 et seq.
• Failed to review or reject the referral despite obvious jurisdictional red flags, including an unverified sealed order and contested psychiatric basis.
• As Director, holds non-delegable responsibility for ensuring only lawfully committed individuals are confined by the State.
• Enabled prolonged unlawful deprivation of liberty under the appearance of medical legitimacy.

> “In Stephanie Clendenin’s signature lies the bureaucratic blade — clean, distant, and final. By her pen, a citizen fell from the court into the ward, not by lawful judgment, but by silence dressed in authority.”