No jail for anti-Israel activist charged with threatening to murder California city council

An anti-Israel activist who was charged with making murderous threats against members of Bakersfield’s City Council was granted entry Thursday into a mental health program instead of facing potential jail time.

Kern County Superior Court Judge John Brownlee allowed Riddhi Patel to participate in the diversion program after prior court hearings determined she had a disorder that qualified her for non-carceral treatment.

Ms. Patel’s specific condition was not disclosed, as the Thursday hearing was not open to the public. KGET-TV, the Bakersfield NBC affiliate, reported on the hearing after being briefed by court staff.

As long as the defendant completes the program and avoids legal trouble, she will have her 21 felony threats charges dismissed. A conviction on a single felony threats charge could result in a three-year prison sentence.

Ms. Patel was arrested on April 10, 2024, after her outburst during the public comment portion of a Bakersfield City Council meeting.

The defendant took to the podium to bash Mayor Karen Goh and the city council for not supporting a ceasefire resolution about the conflict in Gaza.  

“I remind you that these holidays that we practice, that other people in the global south practice, believe in violent revolution against their oppressors, and I hope one day somebody brings the guillotine and kills all of you mother———-,” Ms. Patel said at the time.

She concluded her public comment by saying “We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you.”

Ms. Goh informed Ms. Patel that her final sentences could be considered criminal. She was then detained by police in the council chambers.

The comments cost Ms. Patel her job as an economic development coordinator for a California-based advocacy organization.

The United Liberation Front, the group that crafted the uniform ceasefire resolution, also condemned Ms. Patel’s statements.

The Washington Times reached out to Ms. Goh about the verdict, but did not immediately hear back.