BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 The District Attorney’s Office telling 23ABC a judge has granted mental health diversion to Riddhi Patel, the woman accused of threatening city council members during a public meeting last year.<\/p>\n
Patel was arrested in April 2024 after prosecutors say she made threats while speaking during public comment at a city council meeting. Defense attorneys filed a motion asking for mental health diversion, which the District Attorney’s Office opposed in court. However, the judge ultimately granted the diversion.<\/p>\n
Mental health diversion is a process that allows certain defendants to enter treatment instead of jail if a judge finds their mental health condition played a significant role in the alleged crime.<\/p>\n
If Patel successfully completes the program, the case could be dismissed and she could avoid serving jail time.<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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