The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has asked a state appellate court to overturn a judge’s controversial decision to grant mental health diversion to a man accused of carrying out a racially charged violent assault that left a 64-year-old homeless man permanently disabled.
In a petition filed with the California Court of Appeal, prosecutors are seeking a peremptory writ of mandate to vacate Judge Lana Kim’s March 12 ruling that allowed Job Uriah Taylor, 27, to avoid trial under a California law that permits eligible defendants to undergo treatment for mental illness instead of facing criminal prosecution.
The order, signed by Presiding Justice Frances Rothschild of the Second District Court of Appeal, directs the Los Angeles Superior Court to show cause why Taylor’s diversion should not be reversed.
Taylor is charged in connection with a March 2023 attack near the Expo Line station in Santa Monica that left Christian Hornburg with a traumatic brain injury. According to witnesses and prosecutors, Taylor targeted three Black victims in broad daylight, striking Hornburg from behind while yelling racial slurs.
Hornburg, a former traveler and musician’s son from Beverly Hills, was living on the street at the time of the attack. He now resides in a long-term care facility, unable to walk or care for himself.
“The judge never looked at me the way she looked at him,” Hornburg told The Current in an earlier interview. “It was like my life didn’t matter.”
Taylor’s placement into the Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) program triggered widespread concern about public safety and judicial discretion. The program, while praised in some cases for reducing incarceration and promoting mental health treatment, allows defendants to avoid conviction and possible jail time if they comply with a treatment plan.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the Taylor ruling “a miscarriage of justice.”
“At any moment, Taylor can walk out, and they can’t stop him,” Hochman said. “Law enforcement isn’t notified until days later. The only way he’s likely caught is if he reoffends—which could involve extreme violence.”
Court transcripts show prosecutors raised repeated concerns about the risks of diversion during Taylor’s hearing, especially after a court-appointed mental health expert acknowledged that Taylor would not be housed in a locked facility and could potentially walk away without immediate oversight.
This is not the first time Judge Kim has faced scrutiny for her sentencing decisions. Elected in 2020 with a platform emphasizing no incarceration, Kim has granted diversion in multiple cases involving violent or repeat offenders. Among them was Lisa Ann Heflin, who led police on a high-speed chase in 2024, injuring nine officers and damaging several vehicles. She was also granted mental health diversion.
“These cases illustrate a pattern of leniency,” Hochman said.
In the Taylor case, the DA’s office now hopes the appellate court will intervene. The petition asks the court to reverse Kim’s ruling and require the case proceed to trial.
Hornburg, whose life was permanently altered by the attack, continues to struggle without housing assistance or a long-term care plan.
“I don’t have options,” he said. “This is what my life is now because of him.”
The court set a July 30 deadline for the defense to file an opposition, with a DA’s reply due by August 27. A hearing date is pending.
By Jamie Paige, Special to the Daily Press. Published in partnership with the Westside Current.