What is pretrial diversion?

Answer 1

A pre-trial diversion program is basically a get out of jail free card. A plan is set up whereby the offender must follow all of the rules written in the agreement between the offender, the District Attorney, the offenders lawyer, and a judge. It might involve doing community service, a drug treatment program or other programs in lieu of going to court for a minor offense. States have different rules that must be followed for this type of program.

Answer 2

: Pretrial diversion (PTD) is an alternative to prosecution which seeks to divert certain offenders from traditional criminal justice processing into a program of supervision and services administered by the U.S. Probation Service. In the majority of cases, offenders are diverted at the pre-charge stage. Participants who successfully complete the program will not be charged or, if charged, will have the charges against them dismissed; unsuccessful participants are returned for prosecution. : The major objectives of pretrial diversion are: * To prevent future criminal activity among certain offenders by diverting them from traditional processing into community supervision and services. * To save prosecutive and judicial resources for concentration on major cases. * To provide, where appropriate, a vehicle for restitution to communities and victims of crime. * The period of supervision is not to exceed 18 months, but may be reduced. I got this info from the site below. There is more there that may be very interesting and helpful for you.

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/22mcrm.htm