{"id":308869,"date":"2026-05-10T10:47:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T10:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/308869\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T10:47:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T10:47:32","slug":"california-mom-rips-newsom-backed-diversion-program-that-appears-to-benefit-her-sons-killer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/308869\/","title":{"rendered":"California mom rips Newsom-backed ‘diversion program’ that appears to benefit her son’s killer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Compounding layers of leniency in California laws<\/a> are allowing drivers charged with vehicular manslaughter to walk away with clean criminal and driving records, prompting calls for reform from victims\u2019 families.<\/p>\n

Allison Lyman, who is looking for accountability for the crash that killed her son last year, believes soft-on-crime laws passed under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s<\/a> tenure have weakened accountability for road deaths, amounting to what she described as “negligence.”<\/p>\n

“You know, our hunch is this was all happening during \u2018soft on crime,\u2019 \u2018let’s clear the jails,\u2019” Lyman said of California\u2019s laws.<\/p>\n

“And the consequence now is us \u2014 with these drivers right back on our roads.”<\/p>\n

Blue City Erupts As 91-Time Felon Tries To Dodge Prison, Weasel Into Rehab After Crash<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gavin<\/p>\n

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, pictured alongside Connor Lopez, right, the son of Allison Lyman who was killed in a car accident on April 23, 2025.<\/p>\n

(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Lyman\u2019s son, Connor Lopez, was killed in a collision<\/a> on April 23, 2025, when Harkit Kaur, a 50-year-old woman, turned into a clear view of incoming traffic and blocked the path of Lopez\u2019s motorcycle, according to eyewitnesses to the accident.<\/p>\n

Read On The Fox News App<\/a><\/p>\n

Kaur did not show signs of intoxication after taking a standardized field sobriety test, police reports indicate. Fox News Digital reached out to Kaur\u2019s legal representation.<\/a><\/p>\n

After the accident, Lyman was shocked to hear the death was considered a “misdemeanor” under California laws dealing with non-violent crimes<\/a> \u2014 something amounting to less than a shoplifting crime. But her shock only grew when she was told Kaur could soon have the accident wiped entirely from her record through a law Newsom approved in 2020.<\/p>\n

“I won\u2019t ever forget the day I sat in front of the DA. He said something about a \u2018diversion program.\u2019 And then we learned: Governor Newsom signed AB 3234 into law,” Layman explained.<\/p>\n

California’s Soros-backed Progressive Experiment Collapses After A Decade<\/a><\/p>\n

\"California<\/p>\n

California Gov. Gavin Newsom takes questions from the media after announcing the state is suing the White House to restore SNAP funding before the cutoff during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif.<\/p>\n

That law<\/a> expanded judges\u2019 authority to grant pretrial dismissal in some misdemeanor cases, allowing charges to be completely dismissed if defendants complete court-ordered programs and “would deem the arrest upon which diversion was imposed to have never occurred.”<\/p>\n

The law can apply to more than just traffic violations.<\/p>\n

“And then the charge is dismissed. It is erased,” Lyman said. “The driver that killed Connor has never lost her license. I’ve seen her driving,” Lyman said.<\/p>\n

Lyman noted that Kaur hasn\u2019t yet officially received a diversion ruling and will receive a final sentencing ruling next week.<\/p>\n

Coupled with other Newsom-approved laws, Lyman said courts are specifically told to consider diversion ahead of possible jail sentences.<\/p>\n

“I zoomed in for a woman whose husband was killed in Sacramento.<\/a> It’s a misdemeanor. She has the same judge as Connor. And the judge was talking about making his decision and cited this code that I had never heard of \u2014 17.2. And it was another law passed in 2023 that essentially tells judges to consider everything, including diversion, before jail,” Lyman said.<\/p>\n

Newsom approved 17.2 through AB 2167<\/a> \u2014 a law that requires “a court to consider alternatives to incarceration including collaborative justice court programs, diversion, restorative justice and probation.”<\/p>\n

In the wake of her son\u2019s death, now one year ago, Lyman is working with state lawmakers to advocate for SB 953<\/a> \u2014 a law that would require all vehicular manslaughter to be reported to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.<\/p>\n

This Is How We’ll Know If California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Epiphany On ‘Liberal Governance’ Is Real<\/a><\/p>\n

\"California<\/p>\n

The California state capitol building in Sacramento on National Urban League California Legislative Advocacy Day on March 13, 2024.<\/p>\n

Sen. Roger Niello, R-Calif., the bill\u2019s sponsor, explained his legislation<\/a> would put two points on the defendant\u2019s driving record, regardless of diversion.<\/p>\n

“Under current laws, a speeding ticket can now have a greater reflection on a driver’s record than killing somebody with a car. A diversion does not change the fact that a fatality occurred,” Niello said at a press event earlier<\/a> this week.<\/p>\n

Click Here To Download The Fox News App<\/a><\/p>\n

“The DMV cannot do its job of determining who poses a risk and who does not.”<\/p>\n

SB 953 advanced unanimously out of committee on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office.<\/p>\n

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