Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Re: Court date

Go to court and check with the criminal clerk early i.e., several days before your regular appearance, and ask her/him to send the file up to the judge. They'll do that, you can enter your 'not guilty' plea early, and set a date to meet with the D. A. to see what the recommended sentence will be if you plead guilty. It's as simple as that. Don't make a small case into a mountain of problems by failing to appear early or when you're scheduled. Or hire an attorney for $1,500.00 to make the appearance for you if you earn several hundred dollars an hour, and have plenty of money to throw away.