Folk singer Joni Mitchell may be released from a hospital soon but still cannot confer with doctors about her medical care or long-term treatment, an attorney told a judge on Monday.
The assessment by attorney Alan Watenmaker impelled a judge to place the singer-songwriter's longtime friend in charge of healthcare decisions for Mitchell.
Superior Court Judge David S. Cunningham III appointed Leslie Morris, Mitchell's friend for more than 40 years, as the singer's conservator during a brief hearing Monday. Morris will now be able to confer with doctors and make decisions about Mitchell's treatment and lifestyle when Mitchell leaves the Los Angeles hospital.
An attorney appointed to represent Mitchell's interests agreed that Morris should receive emergency conservatory authority.
"I believe that it is very necessary," Mitchell's court-appointed attorney Rebecca Thyne told Cunningham.
Mitchell, 71, has been hospitalized since March 31 for undisclosed reasons. No further information about Mitchell's health or prognosis was discussed during Monday's hearing, and Watenmaker declined comment after the proceedings.
The eight-time Grammy Award winner has no relatives who can serve as her conservator, which led to Morris' filing a petition last week saying her friend was unconscious and unable to make decisions about her care. A message posted on Mitchell's official website, however, said the singer was alert and expected to make a full recovery.
The conflicting information was not addressed at Monday's court hearing.
Morris will not have any control over Mitchell's finances.
In addition to winning multiple Grammies, Mitchell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
She started her career as a street musician in her native Canada before moving to southern California, where she became part of the flourishing folk scene in the late 1960s. Her second album, "Clouds," was a breakthrough with such songs as "Both Sides Now" and "Chelsea Morning," winning Mitchell the Grammy for best folk performance.
Her 1970 album, "Ladies of the Canyon," featured the hit single "Big Yellow Taxi" and the era-defining "Woodstock." The following year, she released "Blue," which ranks 30th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."
Her musical style integrates folk and jazz elements, and she counts jazz giants Charles Mingus and Pat Metheny among her collaborators.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.