Kansas v. Crane

Kansas v. Crane is a significant U.S. Supreme Court case from 2002 that addressed the commitment of sexually violent predators. The Court ruled that a person can only be involuntarily committed if they show a mental abnormality and a lack of self-control that makes them a danger to others. This decision clarified that states must demonstrate an individual’s current mental state and inability to control their behavior, rather than solely relying on past convictions, to justify civil commitment, balancing public safety with individual rights.