Justice Sidney Wernick yesterday gave final approval to the settlement of a laws

Justice Sidney Wernick yesterday gave final approval to the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the city of Portland and other co-plaintiffs against the state for its treatment of the mentally ill. Under the settlement the state has agreed that it is legally obligated to provide services to the mentally ill, but the settlement stops short of ordering the governor or the Legislature to budget enough money to pay for those services. The state is required to set up a network of services to support those released from the Augusta Mental Health Institute (AMHI) and also to provide service to anyone with severe or prolonged mental illness, regardless of whether they have been in AMHI