Legal Question in Constitutional Law in California

I was recently tried in juvenile court for "possession of a controlled substance" (marijuana) and "possession of a drug paraphernalia" in which I plead guilty. The judge sentenced me to 3 months of drug testing. If this was completed the charges would be dropped, but if I failed to complete the sentence in the allotted time I would be unable to apply for a driver's license for a year. It has now come to my attention that despite the judge only saying that I must complete 3 months of drug tests, I now have to complete a 3 month drug awareness program along with it. Is it legal to add on to a sentence after it has already been given in the court hearing with no notification? The only reason I am aware of this addition is because the form they gave me that listed local drug testing centers also listed program centers, and my parents called the court center to make sure this wasn't part of my sentence. That is when we were notified of the additional 3 month program. I find it hard to believe the court can legally add on to a sentence once it has been given, especially without notification. Is this legal?


Asked on 3/07/11, 9:51 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

You weren't sentenced. You were given an option that would result in the charges being dropped. Unless you want to actually be sentenced, you do what they say.

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Answered on 3/10/11, 11:57 am


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