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Dec. 23, 2025

Mental Health Diversion for Former Kern Supervisor Triggers Calls to Rewrite California Law

Bipartisan lawmakers cite the Zachary Scrivner case as evidence the 2018 statute needs tighter limits.

Mental Health Diversion for Former Kern Supervisor Triggers Calls to Rewrite California Law
Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield. Photo courtesy of Shannon Grove's office.

The mental health diversion granted last week to former Kern County Supervisor Zachary Scrivner has ignited bipartisan outrage at the Capitol. Now a Republican senator and a Democratic Assembly member are calling for changes to California's 2018 law allowing some defendants with diagnosed mental illness to avoid prosecution.

Scrivner, once a powerful figure in local Republican politics, faces a felony case filed in February by the state attorney general. Prosecutors alleged fi...

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