Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

I believe if it is a first offense it is an infraction (no jail time) ... double check the charge level. Good luck!

A ticket is a non booked arrest, that like any other arrest goes onto your record forever. If convicted, that too would be on the record forever.

This section can be filed as either a criminal misdemeanor or as a civil action

brought by the prosecutor. Treat yours as a misdemeanor unless you know differently.

You are always entitled to represent yourself in court. Whether you should is a different issue. The conventional wisdom is that an attorney will be able to do a better job and get a better outcome. Prosecutors and judges don�t like dealing with ProPers, unless you are simply pleading guilty, not defending the case.

If serious about hiring counsel to help in this, and if this is in SoCal courts, feel free to contact me. I�ll be happy to help fight the criminal charges and get the best outcome possible, using whatever defenses there may be.