BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner is being investigated on allegations he sexually assaulted a preteen, Sheriff Donny Youngblood said during a press conference Thursday afternoon.

On Tuesday night, Youngblood said, he received a call from District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, Scrivner’s aunt, saying she was concerned about him, he appeared to being having some type of psychotic episode and was armed with a gun.

The Scrivner dynasty: Several family members look to cement influence

Youngblood sent a group of deputies to Scrivner’s Tehachapi home. They learned he had been disarmed before their arrival.

Once there, deputies learned Scrivner had been involved in a physical altercation with his children and was stabbed twice in the upper body, Youngblood said. The altercation occurred over the sex assault allegations, the sheriff said.

Thirty guns, electronic devices and psychedelic mushrooms were seized from the home, Youngblood said. He said forensic studies will determine whether Scrivner was under the influence.

There is a criminal protective order barring Scrivner from having contact with his children.

An investigation is ongoing and charges have not been filed, Youngblood said. The case is being referred to the state Attorney General’s Office, and the investigation may be taken over by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.

Scrivner’s attorney, H.A. Sala, said late Thursday afternoon he has a reasonable basis to believe the sex assault allegation is “not reliable, not true and it didn’t occur.” He said he believes no corroborative evidence was seized from the home.

The altercation leading to Scrivner being stabbed occurred during an effort to disarm him as he suffered a mental health crisis, Sala said. Scrivner has been distraught over his pending divorce, he said.

He stressed Scrivner never pointed the gun at or threatened to harm anyone else in the house.

Sala expressed concern over the sheriff holding a press conference regarding such serious allegations with the investigation still in its early stages.

“To me it’s remarkable the sheriff would come out at this point without a full investigation and make allegations like that,” he said.

Scrivner has been a steady, influential presence on the political scene for 20 years

“I’ll tell you right now, (Scrivner) deserves better,” he added.

Scrivner is a dedicated father who would never harm his children, Sala said. He said he expects the investigation will bear that out and show no charges are warranted.

Scrivner, 50, has been on the Board of Supervisors for 14 years, and has served in governmental offices most of his adult life.

His wife filed for divorce in March. The couple have been married for 18 years. They separated in November, court records say.

They have four children.

Zack Scrivner was elected to the Bakersfield City Council in 2004, representing Southwest Bakersfield’s Ward 7 for seven years.

In 2010, he was elected to the Board of Supervisors, serving the huge District 2, which encompasses the sparsely populated southern half of the county. He moved his official residence to Tehachapi. He was chairman of the board in 2016 and 2022.

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His wife, Christina Scrivner, is a member of the Kern Community College District Board of Directors and is a former Tehachapi City Council member.

Zack Scrivner’s mother, Kathy Scrivner, was elected to the Kern High School Board of Directors in November.

District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer is his aunt.

Watch the full press conference held by Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood on Thursday afternoon in the video player above.

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