Hopkins v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Appellate Division

Opinion

WILLHITE, J.

—In 2014, the California Legislature enacted a statute, Penal Code section 1001.80, 1 authorizing a trial court to grant pretrial diversion to a defendant charged with a misdemeanor if the defendant was, or currently is, a member of the United States military and suffers from sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of his or her military service. 2 The purpose of the pretrial diversion program is to allow veterans who are suffering as a result of their service to get the services…