People v. Bennett CA1/4

Filed 1/20/26 P. v. Bennett CA1/4

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FOUR

THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, A173401 v. (Mendocino County JADE BLAINE BENNETT, Super. Ct. No. 24CR04428) Defendant and Appellant.

Jade Blaine Bennett appeals from a judgment of conviction entered in Mendocino County Superior Court. Bennett’s appointed appellate counsel has submitted a brief pursuant to People v. Wende (1979) 25 Cal.3d 436 (Wende) requesting we independently review the record. Counsel has advised Bennett of his right to submit a supplemental brief, and he has not done so. Our independent review of the record has disclosed no appellate issues that warrant further briefing. I. BACKGROUND In May 2024, Bennett, while being booked at a jail, was found to possess 3.67 grams of methamphetamine. This led to charges being filed against him. In June 2024, the Mendocino County District Attorney filed an information charging him with knowingly bringing a controlled substance

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into jail in violation of Penal Code1 section 4573, subdivision (a), a felony. The information also alleged he had two prior strikes, one for assault with a deadly weapon (§ 245, subd. (a)(1)) in September of 2021 and another for attempted battery with serious bodily injury (§§ 664, 243, subd. (d)) in February of 2020. In August 2024, the prosecution and Bennett agreed to a negotiated disposition of his case. Pursuant to this agreement, and as approved by the court, he admitted to violating parole in case number 24CR04427 and was returned to parole for two more years. In the present case, he pleaded no contest to the felony count and admitted one of the prior strike allegations. Bennett waived time for sentencing, and the court deferred sentencing so that he could attempt to successfully complete a 90-day or longer drug education treatment program and successfully participate in drug court or behavioral health court, for eighteen months, including by submitting to regular drug testing. If he successfully completed the programs, the prosecution would dismiss the prior strike allegation to which Bennett pleaded no contest and the court would place him on probation for a period of two years. If Bennett did not successfully complete the programs, the court would sentence him to six years in state prison. The court also would order Bennett to pay various fines and fees. Subsequently, a team that included people from both the drug court and the behavioral health court assessed Bennett, who also had mental health issues, and concluded he would be best served by attending behavioral health court. The court ordered him released to participate in a residential treatment program and then the behavioral health court.