BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains (D-Delano) introduced a package of bills called the “Lords of Bakersfield.” In a release, it said the three-bill package “targets the abuse of mental health diversion programs, ends sweeping immunity deals for accomplices of predators, and mandates the rapid prosecution of elected officials investigated for sex crimes against children.”
“For too long, the wealthy, the politically connected, and the powerful have played by a completely different set of rules in our justice system,” said Dr. Bains. “We are watching mental health diversion be weaponized to shield abusers, while loopholes protect the accomplices of monsters like Jeffrey Epstein. The dark history of the ‘Lords of Bakersfield’ shows us that these abuses of power are deeply entrenched, and they have gone on for far too long. This package is about ensuring that no amount of money, status, or political influence can buy a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
The package includes three pieces of legislation:…