Mental Health Defense · Los Angeles County
Mental Health & Criminal Defense in Los Angeles
California treats serious mental illness as a factor in criminal justice — not a weakness to hide. Rubin Law leverages Penal Code §1001.36 diversion, the Lanterman- Petris-Short Act, and Los Angeles mental health courts to pursue treatment over incarceration whenever the law allows.
Daniel S. RubinMental Health Defense Attorney
Practice Areas
Mental Health Defense Practice
From pretrial diversion to state-hospital release, Rubin Law handles every stage of the intersection between mental health and criminal law.
Mental Health Diversion
PC §1001.36 — pretrial diversion with case dismissal for qualifying defendants.
Learn MoreMental Health Courts
LA County collaborative courts for treatment-based dispositions.
Learn More5250 Hearings
WIC §5250 — 14-day involuntary hold challenges and probable-cause hearings.
Learn More5150 vs 5250 Holds
Compare 72-hour and 14-day involuntary psychiatric holds and how families can challenge them.
Learn MoreRestoration of Sanity
PC §1026.2 — release from state hospital after NGI commitment.
Learn MoreTreatment Over Jail
AOT, PC §1370 competency, and treatment-based sentencing alternatives.
Learn MoreWhy Mental Health Defense Matters
Treatment, Not Just Punishment
California recognizes that many people in the criminal system have serious mental illness — schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, PTSD, major depressive disorder, and trauma-related conditions. Since 2018, Penal Code §1001.36 has permitted judges to order pretrial diversion into treatment for qualifying defendants, with full case dismissal upon successful completion.
Rubin Law works with forensic psychiatrists, treatment programs, and Los Angeles County mental health courts to build diversion petitions, LPS conservatorship defenses, and restoration-of-sanity petitions that protect both liberty and health.
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