SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho has vacated the bench trial scheduled for March 13 to allow the defendant, Nanami DLG Mafnas, to be evaluated for the diversion program.
At a status conference on Wednesday, Jan. 31, Mafnas was represented by Assistant Public Defender Charlene Brown while Assistant Attorneys General James Robert Kingman and David Karch appeared for the government.
Also present were Chief Probation Officer Matilde Rasa and Probation Officer Gwendolyn Weena Iguel.
Judge Camacho reminded the attorneys to be mindful of the separation of powers of co-equal branches of government.
“The Office of Adult Probation is a division of the judiciary branch. The Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Public Defender are departments of the executive branch,” he noted.
Recently, the prosecution and defense filed a stipulated motion to suspend prosecution, which the judge said did not “fully follow the rules.”
He said because the attorneys were not familiar with the procedure and process in determining if a defendant is eligible for the diversion program, Chief Probation Officer Rasa and Probation Officer Iguel had to explain to the attorneys the procedure and process.
The Adult Diversion Program “is a voluntary alternative to criminal adjudication that allows a person accused of a crime to fulfill a set of conditions or complete a formal program designed to address, treat, or remedy issues related to or raised by the allegation. Upon successful completion of the conditions or program, the charges against the defendant are dismissed or not filed.”
The judge said Mafnas “has not yet been evaluated if she is eligible [for diversion]. To allow for the evaluation for eligibility to proceed, the court therefore vacates the bench trial on March 13, 2024,” he added.
Judge Camacho also scheduled a status conference for April 12 at 10 a.m. to update the court on Mafnas’ eligibility for the diversion program.
Mafnas was accused of assaulting a government attorney in March 2023, and was charged with one count of assault and battery, and one count of disturbing the peace.
