Four defendants accepted responsibility by admitting Felony Resisting and a Misdemeanor Battery on police officers. Defendants will have a unique opportunity for future dismissal of the most serious conviction through a local restorative justice program.
Press Release
(Woodland, CA) August 31, 2017 – District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced that four defendants involved in a Picnic Day assault on Davis Police Officers have entered pleas accepting responsibility for their role in the incident from earlier this year, during the annual Davis/UC Davis event.
Defendants Angelica Reyes, 20, of Sacramento, Alexander Craver, 22, of Sacramento, Iszir Price, 22, of North Highlands, and Elijah Williams, 20, of West Sacramento, pled no contest to a felony charge of Resisting a Peace Officer with Threats, Force or Violence (PC 69) and a misdemeanor charge of Battery (PC 242).
Under the terms of the negotiated agreement, the defendants’ plea and conviction to the felony resisting arrest charge will be held over them by the judge for one year and sentencing will be deferred, thereby allowing the young defendants an opportunity to earn a dismissal through the successful completion of court imposed conditions, including participation in a local restorative justice program in the City of Davis.
Simultaneously, all four defendants were ordered by the judge to immediately serve one year probation for the battery conviction, which requires them to obey all laws and pay fines and fees.
Supervising Deputy District Attorney Ryan Couzens, who handled the matter for the People, explained that the unique resolution was possible because of the defendants’ youth and lack of criminal records and the fact that through their pleas they were accepting responsibility for their conduct pre-trial and at an early stage in the proceedings. In addition, Couzens emphasized that the case presented a unique opportunity for a restorative justice solution in Davis, which has shown strong support for such approaches.
The Yolo County District Attorney’s office has operated a restorative justice-based diversion program since 2013. Through that process, over 1200 criminal cases have been resolved outside of the traditional criminal justice system. The program, called Neighborhood Court, is staffed by over 200 citizen volunteers in Yolo County, all of whom have received training in restorative justice.
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