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Joni Mitchell may soon leave hospital; conservator named

Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell may be released from the hospital soon but still cannot confer with doctors about her care or long-term treatment, an attorney told a judge in Los Angeles Monday. The assessment by attorney Alan Watenmaker compelled a judge to place the singer’s longtime friend in charge of health care decisions for Mitchell.

Leslie Morris, Mitchell’s friend for more than 40 years, was appointed 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 the singer, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, leaves a Los Angeles hospital.

Mitchell, 71, has been hospitalized since March 31 for undisclosed reasons.