Legal Question in Criminal Law in California
My sister was arrested Friday for petty theft and she gave a fake name which also one of her alias names. She was cited out from the store but no court date was given we called the court office and there is no charge in either name. She's on felony probation for the same crime she committed Friday. I'm worried that they will find out who she is and will go to prison this time. Do you think they will find out?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Probably. And yes, she will likely end up in behind bars if they do. She needs a lawyer right away. If she can't afford one, she should contact the public defender's office -- preferably *before* she is found and arrested.
Look carefully at the citation, it should have a time and place that she should go to court. If it doesn't the citation could be thrown out but she still faces the possibility of a probation violation. She needs to talk to a lawyer and to her probation officer.