A man died after being stabbed May 18 in a Sacramento parking lot, allegedly by a suspect who had been released from jail under a California State law that allowed him to be granted a mental health diversion instead of prison time.
Murray was arrested and booked into Sacramento County Main Jail. He was scheduled to appear in court on May 22.
According to Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, the murder wouldn’t have happened if Murray hadn’t been released from prison in the first place.
Murray has a rap sheet in the state.
In May 2024, he robbed a Dollar Tree, during which he sprayed an employee in the face with an unknown caustic chemical before fleeing, according to the sheriff’s department.
A month later, Murray robbed another local area business in Fair Oaks, in which he again sprayed an employee in the face with the mystery caustic chemical, before stealing an electric bike, officials said.
In November 2024, Murray received a court-granted mental health diversion for the violent felony charges and was subsequently released from custody, just six months before the alleged murder.
According to Cooper, the mental health diversion is being abused.
He also said it’s too easy to obtain.
“To be granted mental health diversion, a violent offender only has to obtain a diagnosis from a mental health counselor, not a doctor,” the sheriff stated. “And, they can get the diagnosis after they have committed their crime.”
The California law in question refers to the state’s expanded Mental Health Diversion law, which lowered the requirements for what falls under mental health disorder, and who can give that diagnosis, according to San Diego Deputy District Attorney Matt Greco.
In 2018, Assembly Bill 1810 established mental health diversion for defendants facing misdemeanor and felony charges. Instead of jail time, eligible defendants could enter a treatment program, and after it was deemed successful, could have their case dismissed.
The law was amended in 2023, and it no longer requires proof that the disorder caused the defendant to commit the crime. The onus is now on the prosecution to prove otherwise.
Greco says the revision essentially removed the ability of judges to use their own discretion.
“Because of all of these presumptions that the legislature has put into the system and really removed the discretion, courts don’t feel like they can actually examine and peel away and look at it and say, ‘Does that make sense?’”
“Diversion programs enable participants to access necessary treatment and supports, stabilize in the community, and work toward their recovery. Participation in diversion has also been shown to reduce the risk of recidivism for people with mental health needs,” states the report.
However, “more transitional treatment continuums from jail to the community are needed,” according to the report, among other recommendations.