'Man in Tree' plea deal requires mental health treatment Cody Miller's charges will be dropped if he complies with mental health court

After coming down from an 80-foot tree next to Seattle's downtown Macy's, a man is surrounded by police on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The man spent 24 hours in the tree. He was taken away by an ambulance. After coming down from an 80-foot tree next to Seattle's downtown Macy's, a man is surrounded by police on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The man spent 24 hours in the tree. He was taken away by an ambulance. Photo: Grant Hindsley/seattlepi.com Photo: Grant Hindsley/seattlepi.com Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close 'Man in Tree' plea deal requires mental health treatment 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

The infamous 'Man in Tree' who captivated Seattle in March during a 25-hour stint atop a historic downtown sequoia tree no longer faces felony charges.

Instead, he is required to undergo mental health care during a two-year probationary period after his charges were filed in King County Regional Mental Health Court on Friday.

The move allows 29-year-old Cody Miller to receive mental health treatment and access to housing instead of being jailed. Should he comply with the court's requirements during the next two years, the court will dismiss his charges.

Miller drew national attention after scaling the 80-foot tree and spending the next day throwing apples at medics, stripping branches and cones from the tree and even mooning onlookers at one point.

Read more about the day's events in our previous coverage.

He drew an adoring following, complete with memes and a parody Twitter account, but it soon became apparent that Miller suffered from mental illness.

After descending from his perch, police booked him into jail.

Prosecutors initially charged him with felony first-degree malicious mischief and third-degree assault, but experts deemed him incompetent to stand trial. He underwent several months of treatment at Western State Hospital -- the region's mental health hospital in Steilacoom -- in an effort to prepare him for court.

The resolution reached in Mental Health Court means that Miller will be on two years of probation for misdemeanor charges of fourth-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief.



If he complies with the conditions set forth by the court, his charges will be cleared.

The requirements include mental health treatment and daily medication monitoring. He may also gain access to housing and be ordered to take involuntary medications, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

"The Regional Mental Health Court is the right outcome for this case, and many other individuals like him," said King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg in a prepared statement. "The special expertise of the court staff, and mental health resources available will provide supervised treatment and support to help him live a healthier life and to protect public safety."

Related: