▁judge ▁after ▁years ▁of ▁alleg ed ▁ab use , ▁medical ▁in comp et ence , ▁and ▁several ▁death s ▁from ▁asp iration ▁p neum onia . ▁ ▁Over view ▁Forest ▁H aven ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁as ▁a ▁farm - like ▁institution ▁ge ared ▁towards ▁educ ating ▁its ▁patients ▁with ▁useful ▁life ▁skills . ▁ ▁It ▁en comp ass ed ▁nearly ▁ 3 0 0 ▁acres ▁and ▁contained ▁ 2 2 ▁separate ▁buildings , ▁and ▁at ▁its ▁height ▁hous ed ▁well ▁over ▁one ▁thousand ▁patients . ▁ ▁Its ▁decl ine ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁as ▁fund ing ▁was ▁cut ▁and ▁the ▁population ▁grew ▁to ▁include ▁persons ▁with ▁non - ID ▁conditions ▁such ▁as ▁ep ile ps y . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁Forest ▁H aven ▁received ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 0 ▁individuals ▁from ▁a ▁nearby ▁or phan age ▁" J un ior ▁Village " ▁which ▁had ▁closed . ▁A ▁law suit ▁file d ▁by ▁families ▁of ▁patients ▁at ▁Forest ▁H aven ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁joined ▁by ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Justice ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁re location ▁of ▁many ▁residents ▁to ▁group ▁homes , ▁but ▁the ▁facility ▁continued ▁to ▁operate , ▁even ▁allowing ▁a ▁phys ician ▁with ▁a ▁susp ended ▁medical ▁license ▁to ▁continue ▁pract icing ▁there . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁facility ' s ▁closure , ▁the ▁Justice ▁Department