California mom rips Newsom-backed ‘diversion program’ that appears to benefit her son’s killer
Combining layers of tolerance California laws It allows drivers charged with vehicular manslaughter to have clean criminal and driving records, prompting calls for reform from victims’ families.
Allison Lyman, who is seeking responsibility for the crash that killed her son last year, believes soft-on-crime laws have been passed by the Governor. Gavin Newsom His tenure weakened accountability for road deaths and amounted to what he described as “negligence”.
“You know, our hunch is that these are happening during a time of ‘soft on crime,’ ‘let’s empty the prisons,'” Lyman said of the California laws.
“And the result is now us – these drivers are back on our roads.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom (left) is seen with Connor Lopez (right), the son of Allison Lyman, who died in a car crash on April 23, 2025.
(Getty Images)
Lyman’s son Connor Lopez killed in combat According to eyewitness accounts of the crash, on April 23, 2025, when 50-year-old Harkit Kaur came into clear view of oncoming traffic and blocked the path of Lopez’s motorcycle.
Police reports state that Kaur showed no signs of intoxication after taking a standard field sobriety test. Fox News Digital reached out to Kaur legal representation.
After the accident, Lyman was shocked to hear that the death was considered a “misdemeanor” under California law.violent crimes – something less than the crime of theft. But Kaur was even more shocked when she was told the accident could be completely wiped from her record through a law Newsom approved in 2020.
“I’ll never forget the day I sat across from the attorney general. He said something about a ‘diversionary program.’ And then we found out: Governor Newsom signed AB 3234 into law,” Layman explained.
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this law It expanded judges’ pretrial dismissal authority in some misdemeanor cases, allowing charges to be dismissed outright if defendants complete court-ordered programs and “the arrest upon which the diversion was imposed shall be deemed to have never occurred.”
The law can apply to more than traffic violations.
“Then the charge was dismissed. It was expunged,” Lyman said. “The driver who killed Connor never lost his license. I saw him driving,” Lyman said.
Lyman stated that Kaur has not yet received a formal referral decision and will make the final sentencing decision next week.
Along with other laws approved by Newsom, Lyman said courts were specifically told to consider diversion ahead of possible prison sentences.
“I brought a woman close who had a husband He was killed in Sacramento. This is a misdemeanor. He has the same judge as Connor. And the judge was talking about making his decision and he quoted this rule that I had never heard of before: 17.2. Lyman said another law passed in 2023 essentially tells judges to consider everything, including diversion, before sentencing.
Newsom approves 17.2 via AB 2167 – a law requiring “a court to consider alternatives to incarceration, including collaborative justice court programs, diversion, restorative justice, and probation.”
Lyman has been working with state lawmakers following the death of her son a year ago. for SB 953 -A law requiring all vehicular manslaughter cases to be reported to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
The California state capitol building in Sacramento during the National Urban League California Legislative Advocacy Day on March 13, 2024.
The bill is sponsored by R-Calif. Senator Roger Niello explained his thoughts as follows: legislation Regardless of the referral, two points will be added to the defendant’s driving record.
“Under current law, a speeding ticket now has more impact on a driver’s record than killing someone with a car. Distraction does not change the fact that a death has occurred,” Niello said. he said. a press event before This week.
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“The DMV cannot do the job of determining who poses a risk and who does not.”
SB 953 passed out of committee unanimously on Tuesday.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office.
Original article source: California mother takes down Newsom-backed ‘diversionary scheme’ that appears to have benefited son’s killer
