RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Legislation backed by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office to prevent potentially violent criminal offenders from exploiting courts’ mental health treatment allowances by using claims of psychiatric disorders to avoid incarceration is now enshrined in state law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed Assembly Bill 46, introduced by Assemblywoman Stephanie Nguyen, D-Sacramento, and sponsored by the California District Attorneys’ Association. It was immediately chaptered by the Office of the Secretary of State, becoming part of the state’s statutory scheme.
“Our office was proud to stand with the coalition of public safety advocates that worked for years to advance these important reforms,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Ivy Fitzpatrick said, adding that AB 46’s provisions will “better protect victims, support treatment and enhance public safety.”…