When Arizona Sen. Anthony Kern called a news conference to complain about the release from the state hospital of a man accused of a double murder, he was trying to make a political point that Arizona's new governor and attorney general were too soft on crime.

The issue is far more complex, and it reveals what can happen when matters of politics, criminal justice and mental health collide. The case he pinpointed shows how authorities must navigate through competing legal standards for mental health to balance the interests of justice and public safety.