SANTA ANA, Calif. — An indigent and unhoused man nearly faced 30 days in jail Tuesday because he could not afford the enrollment fee for a court-ordered treatment program, after his defense attorney acknowledged her office had neglected to inform the court of his inability to pay.
The accused was charged with child abuse but was found not guilty of the charge. A jury found the man guilty of a lesser-included offense in February 2026.
However, the man was ordered to enroll in an abuse treatment program by Aug. 4, 2026.
He appeared for an arraignment Tuesday at the Central Justice Center to show proof of enrollment in the abuse treatment program. Judge Alma Hernandez summarized that the man had been given two choices: enroll in the program or spend 30 days in jail.
“Which is it going to be?” Hernandez asked.
The man’s defense stated that he was unable to afford the enrollment fee and therefore had no proof of enrollment.
The deputy public defender argued the man was indigent and currently unhoused. Hernandez questioned why this had never been reported at any of the man’s previous court appearances.
Hernandez ruled that his failure to enroll would not constitute a violation of his probation. He was given an additional 30 days to enroll in a batterers intervention program and ordered to show proof of enrollment Sept. 4, 2026.
While this does not address the man’s lack of financial means to pay the enrollment fees, if the man’s indigency had not been mentioned, he would have been sentenced to 30 days in jail.
To comment please go to one of these social media platforms:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisVanguard
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peoples-vanguard-of-davis-inc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davisvanguard/
X: https://x.com/davisvanguard
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vanguardnewsgroup.bsky.social
Subscribe to the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
