Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Okay if an person never been convicted. For drug charges And has warrent in one county. Moved to another state and has been produtive and out of trouble. Could there be case's that the charge could be overlooked and droped?


Asked on 4/04/11, 11:32 pm

3 Answers from Attorneys

Michael Stone Law Offices of Michael B. Stone Toll Free 1-855-USE-MIKE

It's possible that the other state wouldn't pay to ship you back there (the warrant and charge won't ever be dropped). Or not. It's possible that you could get pulled over and let go; or pulled over, arrested, and let go, or pulled over, arrested, and sent to the other state. Life's a crapshoot.

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Answered on 4/05/11, 2:15 am
Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

No. The outstanding arrest warrant will not be 'overlooked'. However, it may be possible to avoid serious penalties and punishment on it if you can convince the judge your life has turned around. That's all the courts ever really want.

For you to handle this, you must turn yourself into the court, with or without an attorney, and try to negotiate a plea bargain on the warrant and outstanding charges. Doing so voluntarily will result in a better outcome than you being brought in cuffs to court after arrest on the warrant. That will happen if you come in contact with law enforcement or customs anywhere in the US. While you certainly face potential jail and fines, so handle it right. Unless you're competent to effectively represent yourself in court against a professional prosecutor trying to put you in jail, most people hire an attorney who can. If you get serious about doing so, feel free to contact me.

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Answered on 4/05/11, 10:08 am
Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

Addtionally, I neglected to inform you that If this is a felony, the defendant must be personally present at every court hearing and appearance. If this is a misdemeanor, the attorney can appear in court without the defendant being present, and any plea bargain deal could be handled by notarized paperwork. Any fines could be paid by mail. Jail time, if any, would create an obvious problem requiring the defendant�s presence. Thus, if this was a misdemeanor, you wouldn't have to come to Calif unless the outcome involved jail time. You won't know until you do this, and if you don't do this you'll have to 'run and hide' hoping never to come in contact with law enforcement, like a traffic ticket.

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Answered on 4/05/11, 10:11 am


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