Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Re: practical joke

You cannot anonymously notify the court. If you tell her lawyer, he may subpoena you, and the first time the DA will hear your testimony will be at trial, which could cause the DA to lose the case and make him look to you for someone to prosecute.

So what do you do? Your question really is not a legal one, but a moral one. It is true you could be prosecuted if you come forward with the truth, but it takes a lot of courage to do it. It also possible you will not be prosecuted, or only convicted of minor charges. There are worse things in life than going to jail. But you need to know that you probably will be prosecuted.

There are some things in life more important than protecting your rights.

We all know what the right answer to this question is.

Should you choose to disclose what happened, I would recommend you use a lawyer to commence communications with the DA and the attorney for your friend, and not contacting either directly.

Re: practical joke

No - there is no way to anonymously notify the court, unfortunately. Any such communication would have no weight. In fact, it could even anger the court towards your friend for attempt to fraudulently manipulate the judge . . .

Also, even if you were to testify about this in open court, chances are the court might not believe you anyway. If you still want to go ahead and help your friend, you should consult closely with her lawyer.

At your service,

Jacek W. Lentz, Esq.

310.273.1361

www.lentzlawfirm.com

Re: practical joke

Since you are asking lawyers, the answer is: Look out for #1 and keep your mouth shut. And I hope you get run over by a bus.