Please join us in asking California authorities to either resentence or commute the sentence of a 26-year Navy veteran, diagnosed with PTSD, who received an excessively harsh sentence due to the failure to integrate our understanding of trauma into the pre-trial process and sentencing. Besides being a war veteran, Michael Vanderwood was also a University of California professor who served at-risk students throughout California and the United States for over 20 years. We believe his sentence was overly harsh and did not consider the impact of trauma as we understand it today. In fact, if the laws that are in place now were considered when Mike was arrested in 2014, he would have qualified for mental health diversion and/or modified sentencing based on his prior diagnoses of PTSD and military service. It is important to know that Mike was under the care of a psychiatrist and taking medication when he assaulted and caused contusions and lacerations to his partner of 14 years.
Even though Mike was a well-respected community member, and this crime was his first offense, he was given a sentence of 7 years to life for what was described as contusions and lacerations. This sentence is even more shocking when acknowledging the fact that there is now evidence that suggests combining alcohol with the drug Mike was taking for his mental health challenges can cause blackouts. Mike is now being held in prison because he is unable to remember the crime. Critically, Mike does take full responsibility for harming his wife.
In recent years, California law has been changed to acknowledge the impact trauma can have on behavior. We believe either the state or the county needs to intervene to make his prison term consistent with our understanding of trauma and the severity of the crime. Our current understanding of intimate partner violence is that Mike committed "situational partner violence" and there is substantial reason to believe, given his background, age, prior success, and rehabilitation, that he will not reoffend. Please endorse asking Riverside County to support resentencing and asking the Governor to commute Mike's sentence.
Mike was offered a plea of a 4-year sentence, but he turned it down because he believed his severe trauma that led to a PTSD diagnosis in 1991 should be considered. After refusing the plea, a torture charge was added. Mike was found guilty of torture, and a press release indicated he was the first person in California to be found guilty of torture without causing a loss of consciousness, broken bones, or blood loss. He was given the minimum sentence on purpose, but is now being kept in prison because he does not remember the event.
The Blackout:
The unique aspect of this case is Mthat ike was under the care of a psychiatrist when the assault occurred. Mike immediately aksed him psychiatrist, if bupropion could have caused the blackout. The doctor stated he did not know and suggested it was improbable since Mike had been on the medication for a fairly long time. Now, we know that bupropion on its own can cause blackouts and that the changes increase with alcohol