Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper outraged over failure of Assembly Bill 433
FOX40 News
[{'start': '2.902', 'end': '7.040', 'text': "STANDING BY THEIR VOTE. RILEY.   >> A KENTUCKY SHERIFF COOPER   SAYS IF YOU HURT A CHILD, YOU   SHOULD SERVE TIME. THE PUBLIC   SAFETY COMMITTEE SAYS THE   JUDGE SHOULD HAVE DISCRETION   TO LOOK AT YOUR CASE AND USE A   DIVERSION PROGRAM INSTEAD OF   JAIL TIME WHEN APPROPRIATE. WE   DO WANT TO WARN YOU, THOUGH,   SOME OF THE IMAGES AND THAT   YOU'LL SEE IN SOME OF THE   EXAMPLES THAT YOU'LL HEAR IN   THIS STORY MIGHT BE   DISTURBING.   >> THE MAN SACRAMENTO THAT THE   20 LOCAL TO DEATH FRESH. THE   SCHOOL. JUST IF THAT KID TO   DEATH, HE APPLIED FOR   DIVERSION AND SO AS OF RIGHT   NOW, RECORDS EXPUNGED, SCHOOL.   SO THINK ABOUT THIS. PLACE FOR   A JOB FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO   BE A TEACHER TO BE PRESCHOOL   TEACHER TO BE A COACH TO   GROUP. A LOT OF HER ITS RECORD   SHOWS 4. WHAT DO THOSE AND   THAT IS SO UNFAIR. SHARE OF   COOPER SAYS BY NOT PASSING A   BEFORE. 33 THIS WEEK, SERIOUS   OFFENDERS WILL GET PRETRIAL   MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION,   MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION MEANS   INSTEAD OF JAIL TIME A PERSON   GOES THROUGH TREATMENT. IF   THEY CAN PROVE THEIR MENTAL   DISORDER PLAYED A CONSIDERABLE   FACTOR IN THEIR CRIME, A JUDGE   STILL HAS DISCRETION AS TO   WHETHER THEY'RE A GOOD   CANDIDATE FOR DIVERSION.   THAT'S A BUNCH OF BUT SHERIFF   COOPER SAYS THE WAY THE LAW'S   WRITTEN NOW TIES THE JUDGE'S   HANDS. HE SAYS THE BAR IS VERY   LOW FOR WHO'S ELIGIBLE FOR   MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION AND IN   PRACTICE THE CONNECTION   BETWEEN THE DIAGNOSED MENTAL   HEALTH DISORDER AND THE CRIME   IS POTENTIALLY NONEXISTENT.   WAS LAUGHABLE IS IS ADHD.   YOU'VE KATHY DO THAT SLEEP   TELL THIS FUNCTION.   >> SEE THE ENEMY. THEY'RE LIKE   OVER 300 DIAGNOSIS IS. THESE   FOLKS THAT DIAGNOSES? IT'S A   PRETTY MUCH FOR THE DIAGNOSIS   TO GET YOU A RECENTLY RETIRED   SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE FROM TO   LARRY TESTIFIED AT THE PUBLIC   SAFETY COMMITTEE HEARING   AGAINST THE BILL. HE SAYS THE   LANGUAGE OF THE PROPOSED BILL   MAKES PEOPLE ACCUSED OF CHILD   ABUSE AND CHILD ENDANGERMENT   INELIGIBLE FOR MENTAL HEALTH   DIVERSION.    >> AND HE DOESN'T THINK THAT'S   RIGHT. THERE IS A WORLD OF   DIFFERENCE.   >> NOT ONLY IN PEOPLE'S MIND,   BUT IN THE LULL BETWEEN CHILD   ABUSE AND CHILD IN DANGER.   MIGHT. CHILD ABUSE IS WHAT IT   SOUNDS LIKE AND THE CRIMES   THAT ARE RELATED THERE, TOO,   ARE SIGNIFICANT. THEY ARE   SERIOUS. BUT TO THE EXTENT.   YOU ARE CONSIDERING ACTUALLY   CUTTING BACK ON AN INCREDIBLY   SUCCESSFUL. IDEA PUT INTO   PLACE THAT NEEDS AND MUST   ABSOLUTELY BE DISTINGUISHED   FROM THE LANGUAGE THAT   INCLUDES CHILD IN DANGER.   JUDGE ALDRIDGE SAYS CHILD   ENDANGERMENT IS MUCH LESS   SERIOUS THAN CHILD ABUSE, EVEN   SAYING CERTAIN CHILD   ENDANGERMENT CHARGES ARE SOME   OF THE LOWEST DEFENSES IN THE   PENAL CODE. HE SAYS THOSE   OFFENDERS SHOULD NOT BE   EXCLUDED FROM A MENTAL HEALTH   DIVERSION PROGRAM AND LISTEN   CAREFULLY TO THE SHERIFF'S   COMMENTS.   >> AND TO A SEVEN-MEMBER KILLS   COMMENTS. THEY'RE ALL FOCUSED   ON.   >> CHILD ABUSE. ULTIMATELY,   THE JUDGE SAYS THE COURTS NEED   DISCRETION TO EVALUATE EACH   CASE BEFORE 33 WOULD HAVE   LIMITED THEIR ABILITY TO DO   THAT. WHEN YOU ARE EXCLUDING   THE ABILITY OF A TRIAL COURT   JUDGE TO EXERCISE DISCRETION,   MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT   EXCLUDING. AN ENTIRE   POPULATION OF PEOPLE WHO WERE   NEVER INTENDED BY THIS   LEGISLATURE TO BE PART ALL   THIS PROGRAM, WHICH IS PROVEN   SO VERY SUCCESSFUL IN MY   COUNTY. THERE'S SOME THINGS   ARE SO HORRIFIC.   >> SO SHOULD GET A BREAK. JUST   HAVING THIS QUESTION. CRIMES   LIKE THIS, LIKE A MURDER, LIKE   GREAT, LIKE CHILD ABUSE.   CHILD. WE DON'T GET THE   VERSION FROM.   >> NOW WE DID REACH OUT TO THE   PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND   THE CHAIR ASSEMBLY MEMBER NICK   SCHULTZ TOLD US MANY OF THE   THINGS THAT JUDGE ALDRIDGE   DEAD GENERALLY SPEAKING. HE   BEFORE 33 WOULD HAVE   UNDERMINED JUDGE'S AUTHORITY   AND THEIR DISCRETION AND MADE   A BLANKET DECISION IN CASES   THAT ARE GENERALLY NUANCED.   ALSO, THESE CASES ARE   PRE-TRIAL DIVERSION. SO THE   ACCUSED ARE ONLY CHARGED WITH   THE CRIME,"}]