Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

i need to know if I Can u get added charges for prison priors dropped and how much time is added for each prior


Asked on 3/02/13, 3:44 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

Anything is 'possible'. Realistic expectations are entirely different.

The honest answer is that no attorney can predict the outcome, nor even give an intelligent opinion, without reviewing and knowing all the charges, evidence, police reports, expected testimony, priors history, defenses, sympathies, etc.

You�ll learn the actual charge[s] filed and any enhancements, priors, or violations alleged, and get copies of all the police reports and prosecutors� evidence when appearing for arraignment at the first court hearing. The charges actually filed by the prosecutor will determine how much �time� could potentially be imposed. In California, if convicted of any felony, you potentially face one or more years in prison, plus fines; on any misdemeanor, you potentially face up to 12 months in jail, plus fines. Priors and strikes will add formal �penalty enhancements� and affect the prosecutor and judge attitude toward you. If this constitutes a probation violation, factor those new violation charge[s] and old deferred sentence[s] in as well.

When questioned, arrested or charged with any crime, the proper questions are, can any evidence obtained in a test, search or statement be used against you, can you be convicted, and what can you do? No amount of free 'tips and hints' from here or elsewhere are going to effectively help in a legal defense. If you don't know how to represent yourself effectively against an experienced prosecutor intending to convict, then hire an attorney who does, who will try to get a dismissal, charge reduction, diversion, programs, or other decent outcome through motions, plea bargain, or take it to trial if appropriate.

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 and get the best outcome possible, using whatever defenses and sympathies there may be.

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Answered on 3/03/13, 12:42 pm


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