In court, lawyer Andy Schulze said Rose was hoping to become an ear, nose and throat surgeon, and a conviction might affect his acceptance into the programme and have implications for his current employment.
Discharges and diversion was granted to 136 locals charged with assault, 79 for public order offences, 59 for theft and related offences, 55 for dangerous driving, 50 for property damage, 29 for fraud-related offending and 29 for drugs charges.
Other diversions and discharges were granted for harassment and threatening behaviour (15), driving licence offences (15) and unlawful entry with intent (12).
Nationally, of the 266,143 court outcomes last year, 11,227 cases (or 4.2 per cent) resulted in diversion or discharges.
Rotorua Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Peter Bentley said if a prosecutor believed a charge was serious enough to warrant taking it to court then a discharge without conviction should not be considered.
However, Rotorua lawyer Jonathan Temm, a past president of the New Zealand Law Society, said there were cases where on balance a conviction would outweigh the seriousness of what an offender had done.
"Diversion and discharge without conviction are entirely appropriate sentencing options in appropriate cases. We need to have a system that recognises and provides meaningful outcomes because all of us have human failings."
In November 2011 a Marton woman facing a manslaughter charge was granted a discharge without conviction after her toddler drowned in a swimming pool.
She had left her 22-month-old daughter briefly to tend to her 2-week-old baby crying inside the house.
At the woman's sentencing, Justice Forrest Miller said the woman had been "exhausted and overwhelmed", having just had a newborn and recently losing her mother to cancer.
Mr Bentley said while it was a very sad case, "who's speaking for the baby?"
Minor drugs charges which could ruin a wayward student's career prospects was not a justifiable excuse for a discharge either, Mr Bentley said.
"Talking personally here, there's no such thing as a minor drug offence, so therefore yes, they must be pursued to the letter of the law."
Police prosecutors are responsible for the diversion scheme, which enables first-time, low-level offenders to avoid a conviction.
Offenders who are not eligible or won't accept diversion conditions can still seek a discharge without conviction under Section 106 of the Sentencing Act 2002.
A discharge operates as an acquittal. However, the court is still able to order payment of costs and reparation, and impose orders, like a period of disqualification from driving.
Chief District Court Judge Jan-Marie Doogue said in every case where an offender pleaded guilty or was found guilty, the court must consider whether it was appropriate to discharge without conviction, if legislative requirements had been met. "It is commonly, but not exclusively, used where the consequences of the offending far out-weigh the culpability of the offender's actions."