BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Former Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner remains in compliance with the terms of his mental health diversion program, a judge said during a recent court hearing. The hearing comes days after Scrivner’s son, Robert Scrivner, testified before the California State Senate Public Safety Committee, describing allegations stemming from a 2024 incident involving his father.
“On April 23, 2024, my dad came home from work and then, later that night, crawled into bed with one of my younger siblings and molested them,” Robert told lawmakers.
During his testimony, the teen recounted confronting his father after the alleged incident.
“My sibling came downstairs, crying to me, that their own father had done the unspeakable,” he said. “I then walked upstairs to confront my father to protect my sibling, and in an altercation I had to take a firearm away from my father with my older brother. After that I had surgery on my right arm from the physical abuse at my father’s hands.”
Court filings and testimony have alleged that Zack Scrivner was under the influence of drugs and committed a sexual offense. However, he has not been charged with those allegations and has not served jail time.
In December, a judge granted Scrivner mental health diversion, a program that allows certain defendants to receive treatment in lieu of prosecution. If completed successfully, the charges against him could be dismissed.
The case has prompted criticism from state lawmakers, including Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains, who questioned the lack of charges.
“Why weren’t those charges filed? Why wasn’t this properly investigated? Why are new findings still coming out?” Bains said during the hearing.
Bains, along with state Sen. Shannon Grove, has introduced legislation aimed at reforming California’s mental health diversion program. Measures dubbed the “Scrivner Act” and the “Epstein Loophole Act” have advanced through legislative committees, including the Assembly Public Safety Committee and the Senate Public Safety Committee, and now head to appropriations.
Grove’s Senate Bill 1373 has also cleared a Senate committee.
“Zack Scrivner was not arrested, was not arraigned, convicted. There was no court process,” Bains said. “There was no court process for the individuals and the adults that harmed these children.”
Bains said she hopes legislative changes will close gaps in the system and prevent similar cases, while again calling for federal authorities to review the Scrivner investigation.
Robert Scrivner and his mother, Christina, have voiced support for SB 1373. Christina said her estranged husband had been on antidepressants and in therapy prior to the 2024 incident, raising concerns about whether diversion alone can prevent future offenses.
“It’s hard to put into words how horrible that night was,” Robert said. “But to me and my siblings, it was the most traumatic night of our lives.”
Zack Scrivner is scheduled to return to court for another compliance hearing on June 4.
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