California Voters Might Soon Create a “Homeless Court”

A ballot initiative has been submitted in California with the goal of reclassifying certain crimes under a new category, which is being dubbed a “Homeless Court”.

From The Sacramento Bee:

“[Former Assemblyman Mike] Gatto’s office says the initiative would “radically” change the state’s approach to homelessness.

It would classify certain crimes, such as public defecation or drug use, “as cries for help.” Under the plan, people arrested on suspicion of committing those crimes would be diverted to a special court “to determine whether a person committed those crimes due to economic need, a drug dependency, or mental health issues.”

The court would then sentence the offender to a treatment plan, with their record being expunged once they complete their sentence.”

The initiative is currently being reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office. If it passes review, it would then need to attain 623,212 signatures in order to end up on the ballot.

You can read more about the details of the initiative HERE.

If you have any questions about court record access in California, the Federal Courts, or you would like to know about CourtTrax’s other products and services, please contact us at 866-643-7084 or customerservice@courttrax.com