Three receive misdemeanor diversions for charges connected to June 2020 protests in San Luis Obispo
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office announced that three people have received Court Misdemeanor Diversions in place of charges for unlawful conduct in connection to protests that occurred in San Luis Obispo on June 1, 2020.
The county's website said Misdemeanor Diversion "is designed to reduce recidivism by providing low-level, non-recidivist offenders the opportunity for rehabilitative education. If an eligible offender successfully completes the program, pays the program fees, and pays any victim restitution, criminal charges will not be filed."
Honorable Judge Jacquelyn Duffy granted one year of diversion and 20 hours of suspended community service to Henry Popp and Alexandra Bahramzadehebrahimi. Popp and Bahramzadehebrahimi faced charges for failing to disperse after being warned to disperse.
Gianna Stoddard also received one year of diversion and 20 hours of community service for charges of resisting or obstructing a peace officer in addition to failure to disperse.
As a condition of the diversion, the DA's Office said all three defendants are required to obey all laws for the period of one year.
After the diversion has been completed, the cases for all three will be dismissed and their arrests will marked as never having happened.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Jerret Gran said, “The Office of the District Attorney believes the resolution of court misdemeanor diversion was a fair and reasonable one for these defendants given their lack of criminal history and the totality of circumstances surrounding their conduct.”
Court Misdemeanor Diversion is a new program that was created by the California Legislature in 2020 to divert minor misdemeanor offenses out of court. Assembly Bill 3234 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 30, 2020.
For more information on the Court Misdemeanor Diversion program, you can visit the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court’s website.
