A Bill to Keep Defendants Out of Prison Dies in California Senate

The measure sought to divert suspects into programs enabling them to have charges dropped. ‘There wasn’t enough courage in the room,’ said the author.

Men are taken into custody after police responded to an illegal gambling operation in Westminster, Calif., on May 10, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

A bill that aimed to expand diversion opportunities for some crimes was voted down by the California Senate on May 23.

Senate Bill 1282, authored by Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, would have given judges discretion to offer defendants charged with certain misdemeanor and felony crimes the choice to undergo programs—such as those for substance abuse and for mental health care—and if successfully completed within two years, charges for the defendant’s crimes would be dropped.