Los Alamos woman’s case dismissed after diversion program acceptance

The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office has dismissed the complaint against Kyrina Deschamp, 20, of Los Alamos, after accepting her into the Pre-Prosecution Diversion Program. The dismissal was without prejudice, meaning the case is not ending as a conviction and the state can bring the charges back later if circumstances change.

That distinction matters in a county where residents closely follow how serious criminal allegations move through the courts. A dismissal without prejudice removes the complaint from active prosecution for now, but it does not erase the matter or bar future action. Deschamp was represented by attorney William Snowden.

The diversion program is the key to the outcome. The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office says the program is intended to remove eligible people from the criminal justice system when they are considered most amenable to rehabilitation and least likely to reoffend. The office says diversion can include individualized supervision, restitution and restorative-justice goals, rather than a conventional prosecution that moves toward trial or plea resolution.

Eligibility is limited. The district attorney’s office says applicants generally must have a defense attorney, face a nonviolent felony charge, have no prior felony convictions or significant criminal record, and admit guilt. People charged with arson, sex offenses, residential burglary or drug trafficking generally are not considered for diversion. The office serves Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties, so the decision carries weight beyond one case file in Los Alamos.

New Mexico law also shapes how the program works. The Preprosecution Diversion Act requires each district attorney to establish a diversion program, but it also gives prosecutors discretion to deny diversion even when a person meets the minimum criteria. A decision not to divert is not subject to appeal and cannot be raised as a defense, giving district attorneys broad control over who enters the program and under what terms.

The May 13 dismissal was tied to a January 2026 criminal matter that involved other Los Alamos residents, making this part of a longer case sequence rather than an isolated filing. For Los Alamos readers, the practical result is fewer immediate court proceedings, but the state still retains leverage if the matter changes. In that sense, the dismissal reflects how diversion can reduce the public burden of prosecution while keeping accountability in place through the court system.