A violent criminal accused of fatally stabbing an innocent man was on the streets instead of jail, as she was given mental health treatment instead of prison time due to California’s loose mental health diversion laws.
Law enforcement sources have revealed that the suspect had a lengthy criminal history of assault, assault with a deadly weapon, and multiple violent felonies with knives.
However, Jade Simone Brookfield was never incarcerated and was repeatedly given mental health diversions, even though she absconded from the program once.
This case highlights the potential disastrous consequences of combining California’s diversion laws with Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón’s approach of seeking diversion whenever possible. The suspect was charged with murder in April after she allegedly fatally stabbed Dennis Banner during an argument in a street.
