Prosecutor Wants my Son to Stay 100 Feet Away From Me

My son made it to court on Monday after violating the restraining order from my house by refusing to stop banging on the front door and window. This is how I grew up—with my dad banging on the door and my mother’s bedroom window until she finally let him in. Then he started choking her. They both have/had Borderline Personality Disorder.

My son was wanting a Mental Health Diversion to rehab rather than jail, but the police had put down the wrong penal code, which was for battery, so the prosecutor was pushing for jail. He said if my son wanted a Mental Health Diversion, he would have to agree to stay 100 feet away from me.

My son had just spent 5 nights in the L.A. jail, which is the largest jail in the country and he didn’t want to go back, so he agreed. The judge ordered him to go to rehab and have a progress report sent to him in 15 days. If my son completes rehab, his record will be wiped clean.

My son’s CARE Team will check on my son 3 times a week along with others at the rehab. They will also occasionally take him to lunch and bring him a few items of clothing on the Dept of Mental Health’s tab. In the past, my son’s CARE Team has transported him to the dr, child support division, DMV, and nearby trade school. Their goal is to help my son get sober and rebuild his life.

I petitioned for a new program called CARE Court in L.A. to get my son a CARE Team for the rest of his life. As of January 1st of this year, they expanded the program to include people with substance abuse issues. Other states are watching CARE Court and considering their own version.