Former Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner faces widespread criticism in California after a judge approved mental health diversion in a criminal case involving child abuse and assault weapons charges, sparking outrage from his family and renewed calls for legislative reform.
The incident began in April 2024, when deputies responded to Scrivner’s Tehachapi home following a report from his aunt, Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, that he was armed and exhibiting erratic, dangerous behavior.
Authorities arrived to find a chaotic scene involving Scrivner and his four children.
During the altercation, one child stabbed him.
Las Vegas News reported that investigators later alleged that Scrivner had touched his preteen daughter inappropriately while under the influence of alcohol, Ambien, benzodiazepines, and cocaine metabolites.
A search of the residence uncovered 30 firearms, psychedelic mushrooms, and other potential evidence of assault.
Scrivner’s estranged wife had filed for divorce, leaving the children alone that night.
Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood questioned why no immediate arrest occurred, citing logistical hurdles related to arraignment.
Because Zimmer recused herself, the California Department of Justice assumed the prosecution.
In February 2025, the department filed three felony counts of child abuse and two counts of possessing assault weapons.
No sexual assault charges were pursued, reportedly due to Scrivner’s impaired state at the time of the alleged abuse.
In December 2025, Superior Court Judge Stephanie R. Childers approved mental health diversion after Scrivner’s attorney argued that his diagnoses—including alcohol-use disorder, depression, and anxiety—made treatment more appropriate than incarceration, KGET reported.
The ruling triggered immediate backlash from prosecutors and lawmakers, who warned that expanded mental health diversion eligibility could shield serious offenders.
Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains called the program a loophole reminiscent of high-profile plea deals for sexual offenders.
“It was designed to help people get treatment and rehabilitation in appropriate cases, not to provide an escape hatch to sexually assault children. This Epstein loophole needs to be closed,” she said.
Scrivner’s family spoke publicly for the first time on Wednesday at a Sacramento press conference hosted by State Sen. Shannon Grove (R).
Robert Scrivner, one of Zack’s sons, stated, “My own father, who is an elected official in Kern County, assaulted my siblings and myself and was granted mental health diversion. Our case was a clear example of our flawed system.”
Christina Scrivner, his mother, added, “Their answer to their plea, their cry for help, was a stark reality of a broken system under mental health diversion.”
In response, Grove introduced Senate Bill 1373, which would bar violent offenders from qualifying for mental health diversion for crimes such as attempted murder, kidnapping, human trafficking, and child abuse causing serious injury.
Bains proposed complementary measures, including the Epstein Loophole Act and the SCRIVNER Act, to strengthen protections for victims and close gaps that allow powerful abusers to avoid accountability.
The California Department of Justice has filed a writ of mandate seeking to overturn the diversion approval, now pending before the 5th District Court of Appeal.
Advocates for reform emphasize the need to ensure mental health programs cannot be misused by serious offenders, while supporters of diversion stress the importance of treatment for defendants with genuine mental health needs.
As legislative measures move forward, Scrivner’s family continues to push for reforms aimed at protecting victims and closing systemic loopholes.
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