HB573 Summary

• Authorizes the District Attorney of the 26th Judicial Circuit in Russell County to establish a pretrial diversion program allowing offenders to have charges reduced, dismissed, or mitigated upon meeting specified conditions.

• Offenders must enter a written agreement including a guilty plea waiver of speedy trial rights, tolling of statutes of limitations, and conditions such as substance abuse treatment, education, employment, restitution, and drug testing.

• Excludes from program eligibility those charged with Class A felonies, capital offenses, crimes involving death or serious physical injury, deadly weapons, drug trafficking, sex offenses with force or involving victims under 12, and certain traffic offenses involving commercial drivers.

• Establishes application fees up to $1,000 for felonies, $750 for misdemeanors/DUI, and $500 for traffic violations, with fees directed to the District Attorney's Solicitor Fund for program administration and office operations.

• Upon successful program completion, the District Attorney requests dismissal and sets aside the guilty plea; program termination results in standard sentencing for the guilty plea.