Quick Take
One year after she was attacked near her home close to Wilder Ranch, Amanda Timoney has lost faith in the justice system. Repeated judicial leniency toward her attacker has left her frustrated and afraid. It has also, she argues, allowed preventable harm to continue. She says the courts repeatedly released the same person despite a pattern of violent crimes. She emphasizes that homelessness is not a crime, but contends that public safety must take priority when someone repeatedly commits violence. Here, she calls for more judicial accountability.
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I have fought for over a year to keep my attacker in jail or have some of his felonies count as “strikable” so he can be transferred out of Santa Cruz to serve prison time. Unfortunately, the judges of Santa Cruz have not listened to my pleas, and he is now once again in jail, this time for violent assault charges against a minor.
It is baffling to me that a person who has had such an extensive record of violence could be released by a judge multiple times. Even more so, it is frustrating that it was obvious with his criminal history that he would continue to commit violent crimes when released.
In cities across the country, communities are struggling with this dilemma: how to have compassion for people experiencing homelessness while protecting public safety. When those priorities collide in the courtroom, the consequences can be devastating.
I was the victim of a violent crime that occurred in February 2025. My attacker, a young, homeless man named Cody Lynn Mortensen, had camped for over a year on the bike path near my home by Wilder Ranch State Park.
Cody was found guilty of felony-level charges and several misdemeanors related to the attack, but served only a short time in jail. Once on probation, he continued to commit felony-level crimes but was continuously released on probation by the judges of Santa Cruz.
I have spent a year in fear and trying to keep him in jail.
I am heartbroken and outraged that his latest victim, a child, will now have to bear the scars of this abuse throughout their life and that it all could have been prevented.
To be clear: Homelessness is not a crime, nor is it a predictor of violence. The majority of people experiencing homelessness are more vulnerable than they are dangerous. But when an individual, housed or unhoused, repeatedly commits violent offenses, the issue is no longer about housing status.
It is about public safety and accountability.
This is where judges wield enormous discretion. That discretion is meant to balance rehabilitation with deterrence and mercy with responsibility. But when violent behavior is consistently minimized or excused, the system sends a dangerous message: that repeated harm carries few consequences.
Probation can be an effective tool, but it is not a substitute for justice when someone demonstrates a persistent pattern of violence. If prior leniency has failed to prevent further harm, doubling down on the same approach is not enlightened, it is negligent.
The public has a right to expect that violent offenders, regardless of their housing status, will not be cycled back onto the streets without meaningful safeguards. When judges release someone with a long record of assaults, they are making a decision that affects each and every community member in a negative way.
Leniency without accountability erodes trust in the justice system.
When residents see repeat offenders quickly return to the streets, faith in judicial fairness deteriorates. Judicial discretion is powerful and with that power comes responsibility, not only to the accused, but to the public.
We can care about homelessness and still insist on safety. We can support rehabilitation and still recognize when probation has failed. True justice does not ignore violence in the name of mercy. It confronts it with clarity, consistency and the courage to protect the community as well as the individual.
Until that balance is restored, the cycle will continue – and ordinary citizens like me and innocent children will continue to pay the price.
Amanda Timoney is a registered nurse who has lived in Santa Cruz County for more than 17 years. She is dedicated to the safety and wellness of her community, both in her career and her day-to-day life.