California’s Attorney General’s Office is reviewing its options following a judge’s decision to grant mental health diversion to Zack Scrivner, a former Kern County Supervisor accused of sexually assaulting one of his children. The grant came after the judge found the state provided insufficient evidence for denial, sparking significant local and state opposition.
Scrivner was granted mental health diversion on December 19 after his attorney argued state legislators and appellate courts had demonstrated preference for the program. Mental health experts diagnosed Scrivner with depression, anxiety, and alcohol use disorder. The California Department of Justice formally opposed the ruling, with Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office stating: “This is a serious case given the nature of the conduct. We disagree with the ruling and we are reviewing our options.”
Local officials expressed strong criticism. State Senator Shannon Grove called the ruling “outrageous,” noting that a mental health diversion program intended to promote treatment “must never be allowed to erode accountability for the most serious and violent crimes against children.” Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains, who specializes in family and addiction medicine, called the charge-filing decision “the Epstein loophole” and requested federal intervention with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, asking them to investigate potential federal civil rights violations given Scrivner’s former elected official status.
During the December 19 hearing, Deputy Attorney General Joe Penney disclosed details: Scrivner got into bed with one of his children and groped the child for about 10 minutes while the child lay “frozen in fear.” Toxicology showed Scrivner had alcohol, Ambien, benzodiazepines, and cocaine metabolites in his system. Police also reported seizing psychedelic mushrooms. Scrivner is due for a status hearing in January; if he successfully completes diversion program terms, the charges could be dropped.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.avpress.com/news/state-doj-reviewing-our-options-in-scrivner-case/article_eda35f33-be87-4495-9770-62e6633e20bc.html