"A mental health diversion granted to a former Kern County politician is coming under fire from numerous California lawmakers and child welfare advocates, who say a repeatedly amended state law is allowing an accused child abuser to avoid prosecution and possible jail time. Zack Scrivner, a former Kern County supervisor, was charged with felony child abuse in February after he was accused of inappropriately touching one of his children in 2024. But because of a Dec. 19 ruling by a judge, he will avoid a trial and instead be funneled into a mental health diversion program - an initiative aimed at helping defendants with mental health disorders get treatment instead of imprisonment for certain crimes."
""I specialize in family and addiction medicine, so I know the value of mental health diversion ... It was designed to help people get treatment and rehabilitation in appropriate cases, not to provide an escape hatch to sexually assault children," she said. "This Epstein loophole needs to be closed.""
Zack Scrivner, a former Kern County supervisor, was charged in February with felony child abuse after allegations he inappropriately touched one of his children in 2024. A judge ruled on Dec. 19 to divert Scrivner into a mental health diversion program instead of sending the case to trial. Mental health diversion programs aim to provide treatment to defendants with diagnosed mental health disorders rather than imprisonment for certain crimes. Lawmakers and child welfare advocates from both parties criticized the decision and recent legislative changes that they say expanded diversion eligibility. Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains called the ruling an "Epstein loophole" and urged legal changes.
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