Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey speaks during a Gridley Rotary Club meeting April 2, where he addressed recent changes in California law and their impact on public safety. Photo by Lloyd Green Jr.

 

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey spoke at the Gridley Rotary Club on April 2, outlining how recent changes in California law are shaping public safety and the local justice system.

Ramsey, who has served as district attorney since 1987, focused much of his presentation on the state’s mental health diversion law, which allows certain defendants with qualifying diagnoses to bypass the traditional criminal process.

“Mental health diversion is an opportunity for folks that have committed a crime to get diverted out of the criminal justice system,” Ramsey said. “The problem that we have seen … is that it is dangerous.”

Under the law, defendants who present a qualifying diagnosis can seek diversion, with judges required to presume the condition contributed to the crime unless there is strong evidence otherwise. Ramsey said the law applies broadly, excluding only a narrow category of crimes.

“Every other crime is eligible,” Ramsey said.

He said the law limits a judge’s ability to deny diversion, even when there are concerns about future behavior.

“The judge can only have the discretion to deny that suitability if it can be proven … that person will commit a murder … or a sex crime,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey illustrated those concerns with recent cases in Butte County. In one case, a man who had assaulted a neighbor with a firearm was granted diversion after presenting a mental health diagnosis. While in treatment, Ramsey said, the man later shot and killed another neighbor.

In another example tied to jail capacity, Ramsey described a situation where law enforcement had to determine who to release due to limited space. A suspect initially appeared to be a low-level offender involved in a retail theft, but further review showed he had stolen an axe and intended to kill a person in his camp.

The examples, Ramsey said, highlight the difficulty of balancing limited resources with public safety.

He placed the diversion law within a broader shift in state policy over the past decade, including efforts to reduce prison populations and reclassify certain crimes. Those changes, he said, moved more offenders into county systems that were not designed for long-term incarceration.

“It makes for a less safe community,” Ramsey said.

During the question-and-answer portion, Rotarians raised concerns about how laws are written and implemented. One attendee questioned how legislation could limit judicial discretion to that degree, calling the standard for denying diversion difficult to meet.

Ramsey said those policies stem from years of legislative changes aimed at reducing incarceration, including measures that shifted sentencing and redefined certain offenses.

Another question focused on Butte County’s use of a contracted public defender system rather than an in-house office. The attendee raised concerns about access and responsiveness for defendants.

Ramsey defended the current system, describing it as experienced and cost-effective. He said an in-house public defender office could increase costs without improving the quality of representation, particularly due to conflicts that require outside attorneys.

The discussion reflected broader tensions between policy goals and real-world outcomes, a theme Ramsey returned to throughout his remarks.

He pointed to Proposition 36, approved by voters in November 2024, as a sign of shifting public sentiment. He also highlighted Assembly Bill 46, a proposed measure that would expand judicial discretion in diversion cases.

“That will go a long way to fixing it,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey also noted recent investments in staffing and the construction of a new county jail with expanded medical and mental health capacity. Still, he said long-term improvements will depend on continued changes at the state level.

“We have to continue the good fight,” Ramsey said.