1 /5 Elizabeth Grace: Robin Olson has served both as an attorney and a judge for my mentally ill son. I reached out to him because my son desperately needs to be placed in a mental health facility. Unfortunately, Mr. Olson shows no concern for my son’s well-being. His focus is solely on the legal question of whether my son is competent to stand trial — not on the critical issue of his mental health or the steps necessary to get him proper treatment.
Because my son is over 18, I have absolutely no legal rights in his case. I am forced to rely on individuals like Mr. Olson to advocate for him — and that has proven to be completely ineffective. It’s incredibly frustrating.
My son is very skilled at masking his illness when it matters most, which means he may very well be released, only to be arrested again for the same offenses. There is nothing okay about this cycle. He is severely ill, caught in the grip of schizophrenia, and is a danger to himself and others. He has assaulted police officers, harmed himself repeatedly, and attempted suicide as recently as April of this year. Mr. Olson is fully aware of this history — and still, he does nothing.
In my experience, he has shown no empathy or initiative when it comes to getting my son the help he truly needs. If you have a loved one with a serious mental illness who is caught in the justice system, and you have any say in their legal representation, do not hire Mr. Olson. You will not get the support or understanding your family member deserves.
