A judge in San Mateo County has dismissed all criminal charges against Dharmesh Patel, a radiologist who drove his car off a cliff with his family inside in 2023. This decision followed the defendant's successful completion of a court-ordered psychiatric program.

聖馬特奧縣一名法官已撤銷對 Dharmesh Patel 的所有刑事指控。Patel 是一位放射科醫生，他在 2023 年將載著家人的車開下懸崖。此決定是基於被告成功完成了法院命令的精神科治療計畫。

The legal case began after a January 2, 2023, incident where Mr. Patel drove a Tesla off a 250-foot cliff at Devil's Slide. Although the crash was severe, Mr. Patel, his wife, and their two children all survived. During the legal process, the defense emphasized that Mr. Patel suffered from severe depression and hallucinations. Specifically, psychiatric experts testified that he believed his children were being trafficked, which led to the accident.

此法律案件始於 2023 年 1 月 2 日的一起事故，當時 Patel 先生將一台 Tesla 從 Devil's Slide 250 英尺高的懸崖開下。儘管碰撞嚴重，但 Patel 先生、他的妻子以及兩個孩子均倖存。在法律程序中，辯方強調 Patel 先生患有嚴重憂鬱症與幻覺。具體而言，精神科專家證詞指出，他當時認為孩子們正被人口販運，進而導致了該起事故。

Consequently, the court decided that Mr. Patel qualified for a mental health diversion program under a 2023 California law. This law allows eligible defendants to receive clinical treatment instead of going through a traditional trial. For two years, Mr. Patel worked with a psychiatrist from Stanford University and a family therapist. During this time, he was closely monitored via GPS, gave up his passport and driver's license, and reported to the court weekly. Furthermore, the Medical Board of California stopped him from practicing medicine, and he surrendered his medical license in December.

因此，法院決定 Patel 先生符合 2023 年加州法律下的精神健康分流計畫資格。該法允許符合條件的被告接受臨床治療，而非經過傳統審理。在兩年時間內，Patel 先生與史丹佛大學的精神科醫生及家庭治療師合作。在此期間，他接受 GPS 密切監控，交出護照與駕駛執照，並每週向法院報告。此外，加州醫療委員會停止了他的醫療執業，他於 12 月交出了醫療執照。

However, there was disagreement regarding the use of this law. District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe opposed using the diversion program for attempted murder charges, asserting that such serious crimes should not be eligible. He has stated that he intends to ask for changes to the law. Despite these objections, the charges had to be dismissed because Mr. Patel completed the treatment plan. Additionally, his wife testified in court, stating that she forgave him and wanted him to return to the family.

然而，關於該法律的應用存在分歧。地區檢察官 Steve Wagstaffe 反對將分流計畫用於企圖謀殺指控，主張如此嚴重的犯罪不應符合資格。他表示打算要求修改法律。儘管有這些反對，但由於 Patel 先生完成了治療計畫，指控必須被撤銷。此外，他的妻子在法庭上作證，表示她已原諒他，並希望他能回到家庭之中。

Now that all charges have been dismissed, Mr. Patel has reunited with his family, while the District Attorney's office continues to push for changes to the diversion law.

現在所有指控均已撤銷，Patel 先生已與家人團聚，而地區檢察官辦公室則繼續推動修改分流法。