Michael Todd Rosencrantz was recently convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance in Sixth Judicial District Court after failing to comply with probation requirements that would have allowed him to avoid a felony conviction if followed.
Rosencrantz admitted to possessing Heroin, a controlled substance, in Humboldt County after being arrested in April 2019 at the age of 31.
The category E felony charge carries a penalty of one to four years in prison, up to a $5,000 fine and mandatory probation under most circumstances.
Rosencrantz filed an application for diversion, which allows him to complete a substance abuse treatment program and rescind his guilty plea upon successful completion of the treatment program and probation.
Following his arrest, Rosencrantz was given the opportunity to participate in the Humboldt County Adult Drug Court program as a condition of his release from custody and subsequently stopped showing up, which led to a warrant for his arrest.
At his sentencing hearing after being arrested on the warrant, Rosencrantz asked for another chance at treatment and the structure that the drug court program would provide to help him stay clean and sober and “learn how to live a good life.”
In November 2019, Sixth Judicial District Court Judge Michael Montero ordered Rosencrantz into a diversion program, which would allow Rosencrantz to avoid a felony conviction by completing all the terms of probation and drug court and paying fines and fees.
In January 2020, Rosencrantz appeared for a probation violation plea hearing where he admitted to violating four terms of his probation and asked the judge for another chance at treatment rather than prison.
Deputy District Attorney Anthony Gordon recommended that Rosencrantz go to prison since he hadn’t reported to his probation for three months.
Rosencrantz apologized to everyone and said that he needs help changing his ways and promised that if given another chance, he won’t mess up again.
Montero rescinded the diversion program, giving Rosencrantz a felony conviction and sentencing him to 12-34 months in prison with 68 days credit for time served.
The prison sentence was suspended and Rosencrantz was given another chance to complete probation rather than prison, with the condition he also complete the 18-month drug court program he previously absconded from.
He was ordered to pay a $$25 administrative assessment fee, $60 forensic fee, $153 DNA collection and analysis fee and $250 public defender fee.
Rosencrantz could be sent to prison if he does not successfully fulfil the requirements of the drug court program and probation.
