Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

I have a misdmenor conviction from 2004 in Riverside,CA. I was given summary probation and also had to take a 52 week agermanagment course. I have been unable to complete the course due to work (or lack thereof) and have not been able to pay the fee for the course. I had a bench warrant issued which I found out about after I was pulled over for a minor traffic violation in 2009. This has been the only thing I have not been able to do concerning my case. Is there any way around having to do this course that doesnt involved more jail time? Any information will be helpful and any advise is welcome. If more information is need please let me know.


Asked on 12/30/09, 3:48 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert Marshall Law Office of Robert L, Marshall

It appears you were convicted of a domestic violence offense and granted probation under Penal Code 1203.097, which requires the 52 week class.

It is a major component of your probation, and failing to deal with it will not make it go away. If you were unable to pay for the class, you could have gone back to court and asked for a modification of your probation. The fees are also supposed to be on a sliding scale according to your income.

If you haven't completed this class in five years, the judge probably won't be too sympathetic, and might not think you are a good candidate for further probation. Some additional jail time is very likely.

Contact the attorney who represented you in the original case. Since you're short on funds, it sounds like you probably had a public defender; most public defender offices will advise former clients who have a pending probation violation.

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Answered on 1/04/10, 4:27 pm


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