Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in California

I just found out that charges were made against me in Jan 2013 for pc 530.5 but i was never made aware of this until now. the records section at the court house shows the charge and date and it also had a bail amount of 5000.00 but says n/a where court date and sentencing is concerned. what should i do and is this a normal procedure to not notify me of these charges. thank you


Asked on 6/24/13, 9:54 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

If charges were filed, there should also be an arrest warrant issued for you.

To handle a warrant, you must turn yourself in to the issuing court, with or without an attorney. On felony charges, the defendant must be personally present at every court hearing and appearance. On misdemeanors and infractions, an attorney can appear in court without the defendant being present. You�ll try to negotiate a recall of the warrant[s] and seek bail reduction or OR release. You�ll try to negotiate a plea bargain or take to trial the outstanding charge that caused the warrant. Unless you're competent to effectively represent yourself in court against a professional prosecutor trying to put you in jail, most people hire an attorney who can.

A little free advice: exercise the 5th Amendment right to SHUT UP and do NOT talk to police or anyone about the case except with and through an attorney.

If serious about hiring counsel to help in this, and if this is in SoCal courts, feel free to contact me. I�ll be happy to help fight and get the best outcome possible, using whatever defenses and sympathies there may be.

Read more
Answered on 6/25/13, 1:59 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Civil Rights Law questions and answers in California