Loughner could have been committed under Arizona law - USATODAY.com
"The state laws are some of the best in the country," said Jack Potts, a forensic psychiatrist in Phoenix. "The follow-up is not."
Under Arizona law, anyone can call the county or regional health authorities with concerns about a person's mental health, and authorities are required to send out mobile units to assess the person's condition, said Brian Stettin, policy director at the Treatment Advocacy Center in Arlington, Va., which advocates for involuntary commitment for mental illness.
The person who files a request for commitment must list the names of two witnesses who can attest to the subject's behavior, although they don't have to sign the document themselves, Potts said.