The Legislature finds that pretrial diversion offers persons charged with criminal offenses an alternative to traditional criminal justice or juvenile justice proceedings in that: (1) It permits participation by the accused only on a voluntary basis;
(2) the accused has access to counsel prior to a decision to participate;
(3) it occurs prior to an adjudication but after arrest and a decision has been made by the prosecutor that the offense will support criminal charges; and
(4) it results in dismissal of charges, or its equivalent, if the individual successfully completes the diversion process.
