Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Re: Pc 487 (a)

Well, you've started out with the right step, by recognizing you need some expert help here. Needless to say, a felony charge is a scary thing. Let's see if I can help you with some info on what will happen.

First of all, unless you now get arrested for something new, I see little chance of any change in your custody status. That means, your bail should continue just as it is, with you on the outside, not in jail.

Second, Theft of goods valued over $400 is a felony, which can carry a maximum of three years in state prison. A prison sentence is extremely unlikely if you have no prior convictions or arrests. Probation is more likely, but even a probationary sentence can involve some local jail time.

When you get to court, if you already have a lawyer, he or she will inform the judge of the representation and enter a plea of not guilty for you. Then further court hearings will be scheduled on your case.

If you don't have a lawyer, you can ask the judge to just continue the first appearance to another date to give you time to get one. You don't speak of the crime itself, and you won't be asked questions about what you did or of the arrest, and you should not volunteer it. The Court HAS to give you a continuance for a "reasonable time" to get a lawyer, which usually is 2 weeks. So it is NOT true that you have to have the lawyer on the first court date, though you will feel more comfortable if you do.

Without knowing any of the facts of your case, I cannot give you an opinion on what the likely outcome of your case is, or even whether it might be possible to avoid any conviction at all.

If you would like to run your case by me in a free telephone conference, I would do that. I do accept cases in your area. To learn more about navigating the court system, you can review this article on my web site, and my contact info is there too. Good luck.

http://dinday.com/info03.htm

Re: Pc 487 (a)

You've already been 'arrested'. You won't be 'arrested' again as long as you appear at all your court dates. The outcome and penalties depend upon your defenses and your attorney's ability to negotiate a 'plea bargain deal'.

Re: Pc 487 (a)

Grand theft is a felony and yes, you could serve jail time or even state prison time; and you could get a criminal record that could keep you from getting a job, ever. You need to retain an attorney well in advance of your court date so the attorney can be there with you on day one. Don't make a bad situation worse. Call me if you want to talk.