SB 725: Veterans: pretrial diversion: driving privileges.

Existing law authorizes a court, with the consent of the defendant and a waiver of the defendants speedy trial right, to postpone prosecution, either temporarily or permanently, of a misdemeanor and place the defendant in a pretrial diversion program, if the defendant was, or currently is, a member of the United States military and if he or she may be suffering from sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of his or her military service. Existing law authorizes the defendant to be referred to services for treatment.

Existing law makes it unlawful for a person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug to drive a vehicle, or to drive a vehicle and concurrently do any act forbidden by law which causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver. In any case in which a person is charged with a violation of these provisions, existing law prohibits a court from suspending or staying the proceedings prior to acquittal or conviction or from dismissing the proceedings because the accused person attends or participates in a treatment program.

This bill would, notwithstanding any other law, including the above-described provision, specify that a misdemeanor offense for which a defendant may be placed in a pretrial diversion program in accordance with the above-described program includes a misdemeanor violation of driving under the influence or driving under the influence and causing bodily injury. The bill would not limit the authority of the Department of Motor Vehicles to take administrative action concerning the driving privileges of a person arrested for a violation of those provisions.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.