Commentary: In this Hollywood courtroom, defendants are sentenced to get help, and graduations are celebrated

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Set us as preferred The defendant was in an undisclosed jail.The judge was in Department 213 of the Hollywood courthouse, where he could see the defendant on a video feed.“All right, listen,” said Judge Ronald Kaye, who runs one of four mental health courts in the building.“So a couple of weeks ago, I made this ruling to get you out of the jail … and get you in a hospital for your mental illness.”But there’d been a change of plans, Kaye explained, because the defendant had been taking his meds and the psychiatrist reported great progress.

So Kaye was sending him to a residential treatment facility instead of a locked hospital.“You won’t be in a jumpsuit.You’ll be in regular clothes.

You’ll be able to go to the store after a while.You’ll be able to reconnect with family.

...It’s just going to be a lot more freedom,” Kaye said.However:“There’ll be a lot of opportunities, but here are the rules, and these rules don’t bend for anybody.

No.1, you cannot leave the house without permission … [or] I issue a bench warrant and put you back in jail.”The defendant listened intently, then interrupted.“What happens if I mess up or something?” he asked.

“Like, what are the consequences? I’m just wondering.I’m not trying to say I want to go mess up, but … what if somebody attacks me or something?”Kaye smiled and said he didn’t often get such a question.Exhausted Skid Row merchants’ rep: “If something is working down here, you can’t prove it by me.”“If somebody is giving you any kind of stares or conflict, you’ve got to talk to the staff.

You can’t use your fists or your feet,” Kaye said.“No violence … and then you can’t use meth.

No meth, and no marijuana, and no alcohol.Nothing.”It was a fairly typical day in Kaye’s courtroom, and he was looking forward to o...