Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

You posted this question under criminal law, so I'll begin by saying you can report this to the police in the city where it happened. Knowingly giving you a tattoo you didn't ask for is battery, which is a crime.

But your question isn't really clear about what happened. You must have asked for some sort of tattoo. Is the one you got different from the one you asked for? Or did it just come out poorly? (Other people might not agree with you about what the tattoo looks like.) It's not a crime for a tattoo artist to disappoint his customer, even if that disappointment is justified.

You might want to think about this as a civil matter instead. Depending on the specifics, you may be entitled to a refund or even to have the tattoo removed at the artist's expense. You might also be entitled to damages for the pain and suffering - including emotional suffering -- this has caused you.

I can't say how strong these claims would be based on the limited information you have provided. You should meet with some local lawyers and discuss your case in more detail.

Good luck.