SANTA ANA, Calif.—Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer Wednesday announced a pilot program that would allow some low-level offenders to avoid facing a criminal filing if they participate in mental health or substance abuse services.
The sort of offenders eligible for the program will be for crimes such as drug possession and being drunk in public, or when there is a victim who approves, in cases such as in trespassing, vandalism, and assault.
“The entire goal of pre-filing diversion is to get new offenders connected to services immediately upon contact by the police,” Spitzer said. “My entire goal is not only to reduce recidivism, but to keep a person entirely out of the justice system beyond the arrest to keep a person from ever having charges filed—the greatest inhibition to future job and educational opportunities.”
…