A dozen mentally ill suspects facing criminal charges could be released if Orange County cannot find a facility to house them, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the mentally ill inmates with criminal charges pending go to state hospitals for up to two years to restore competency to move forward with a trial. If they can't, they are remanded to a mental health facility. However, the county lacks an adequate number of beds, leading to the possibility of the inmates being released into Orange County, according to Spitzer.

He added that the inmates include violent criminals accused of murder and sexual assault. The releases could occur within the next two months, with the earliest scheduled for Friday.

"The reason I've sounded thi

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