People v. William S. Defendant rams the back end of another vehicle at speed of about 60 miles per hour on freeway. He later confesses to police that he wanted to kill the passengers in the victim vehicle. Defendant arrested and charged with attempted murder and felony assault (his car being the deadly weapon). Investigation revealed defendant suffering from mood swings due to harmful combination of medications. Defendant admitted misdemeanor hit and run violation. Attempted murder and felony assault charges dismissed.
People v. Henry P. Defendant, as a joke, points a firearm at a female co-worker at their workplace, and utters threatening words. The incident gets reported to supervisors at work and then to police. Defendant arrested and charged with felony assault. Felony assault dismissed.
Pretrial Diversion
Pretrial diversion is a legal process that redirects some offenders away from traditional prosecution and into a structured program overseen by the U.S. Probation Service