Month: January 2020

Pretrial Diversion Programs in California

Understanding California’s Deferred Entry of Judgment Programs California offers a number of pretrial diversion programs which allow the court to dismiss criminal charges against certain defendants upon completion of a program.  The goal of pretrial diversion programs is to help those charged with misdemeanor or non-serious, non-violent felonies avoid a criminal record and address the …

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California Assembly Bill 1810 – Mental Health Diversion

Establishing a Pretrial Diversion Program for those with Mental Health Disorders California Assembly Bill 1810 established a diversion program for individuals with mental disorders that had been charged with a crime.  In an effort to “mitigate the individuals’ entry and reentry into the criminal justice system,” the bill codified the mental health diversion program into …

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Mental Health Diversion Eligibility

Restrictions on Eligibility for Mental Health Diversion Under PC 1001.36 Penal Code § 1001.36 authorizes a court to grant pretrial diversion to defendants suffering from a mental health disorder.  Qualified mental health disorders include but are not limited to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.  The defense must provide evidence to the …

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Study Shows Steep Increase in Alcohol-Related Deaths

Excessive Alcohol Use Linked to Numerous Deaths Across the Country As reported by CNN, a new study published in the Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research journal shows that “the number of alcohol-related deaths increased by 50.9%” from 1999 to 2017.  Liver disease and overdoses from alcohol or alcohol mixed with another drug were the primary …

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Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

Facts about Alcohol-Related Liver Disease As noted by the American Liver Foundation, alcohol-related liver disease is a “common, but preventable disease” caused by “excessive consumption of alcohol.”  There are three types of liver disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption: Fatty liver Alcoholic hepatitis Alcohol-related cirrhosis If caught early enough, liver damage may be reversed if …

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Drug and Alcohol Use in College-Age Adults

Newly Released Data Shows Significant Drug and Alcohol Use in College-Age Adults The National Institute on Drug Abuse released their 2018 Monitoring the Future College Students and Young Adults Survey.  The data includes results on marijuana use, nicotine vaping, prescription drug misuse, and binge drinking.  According to the findings: Marijuana use is at a historic …

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