Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Your first court date is your arraignment. There, you'll be given an opportunity to plead guilty (guaranteeing a conviction on your record) or not guilty and have an opportunity to have your lawyer review the facts and reports to see what defenses or options you have.

Why am I mentioning a lawyer? Because you're looking at a misdemeanor that carries up to 6 months in county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Is jail time likely? Not for a first offense and if you otherwise have a clean record, but a misdemeanor conviction also carries the distinct possibility of probation for a period of years.

Even in the face of what seems like a slam-dunk case for the prosecution, there can often be things your attorney can work out to keep this from becoming a conviction on your record.

Help? Certainly, but 'hints and tips' from here are not going to provide you anything useful in dealing with the court procedures or with a professional prosecutor seeking to convict you. You should make real sure you understand what you are being charged with, and what you plea to in any deal that may be offered to avoid jail time. The conduct of your offense can be charged either as a minor infraction with a fine, or amended to fall under the sex offender statutes, resulting in lifetime sex offender registration. Know what you are doing, or hire an attorney to defend you from your own mistakes. If serious about doing so, feel free to contact me.

Mr. Dane has some points on getting started. Try not to make an ass of yourself and be respectful the judge.