Drug possession and sales cases from Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, and Highway 62 are generally heard at the Joshua Tree courthouse. Here is how the charges, diversion programs, and defenses work in the Morongo Basin.

California gives criminal defendants statutory and constitutional speedy trial rights, and a case that misses the deadlines can be dismissed. Here are the Penal Code 1382 time limits, what a time waiver does, how Serna and Barker motions work, and the mistakes that forfeit the right.

Charged with battery on a peace officer in California? Here are the elements of Penal Code 243(b) and 243(c)(2), the excessive force and lawful performance defenses, how it differs from resisting arrest, the penalties, and how these cases actually resolve.

California prosecutors routinely pursue domestic violence cases when the alleged victim refuses to testify. Here is how the Confrontation Clause, the hearsay exceptions, and the evidence actually collected at the scene determine whether the case survives.

A practical guide to what happens after an arrest in Santa Ana, Tustin, or Orange: booking at the county jail, release, the first court date at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, and the decisions that shape the case.

A criminal appeal in California is not a new trial. It is a review of the record for legal error, with strict deadlines of 60 days for felonies and 30 days for misdemeanors. This guide explains what can be appealed, the certificate of probable cause after a guilty plea, the record and briefs, the standards of review, bail pending appeal, and the difference between an appeal and a habeas petition.

California does not ban knives, but it criminalizes carrying a concealed dirk or dagger under Penal Code 21310, switchblades under Penal Code 21510, and blades at schools and public buildings. Here are the elements the prosecutor must prove, the defenses that work, and the penalties and collateral consequences.

A dismissal is not always the end of a California criminal case. Here is when the prosecutor can refile, how the two-dismissal rule in Penal Code 1387 works, and how speedy trial rights, the statute of limitations, and double jeopardy limit refiling.

A practical guide to a criminal arrest in Glendale or Burbank: booking, release, the first court date at the Glendale or Burbank courthouse, and how misdemeanor and felony cases move in Los Angeles County.

The police report is only the beginning. Under Penal Code 1054.1 and Brady v. Maryland the prosecutor must turn over witness statements, body camera footage, lab results, and anything that helps the defense. Here is what you are entitled to, when, what the defense must disclose in return, and how to compel it.

A domestic violence arrest in Barstow, Fort Irwin, Yermo, or Newberry Springs moves fast: a protective order at arraignment, a bail hearing, and a prosecutor who files even when the other person wants to drop it. Here is how the Barstow courthouse handles these cases and what a defense looks like.

Penal Code 29800 makes it a felony for anyone with a felony conviction to own or possess a firearm. Here is what the prosecutor must prove, the defenses that work, and how 17(b) reductions, expungements, and pardons affect gun rights.

Self-defense is a complete defense to assault, battery, and even homicide charges in California when you reasonably believed you were in imminent danger and used no more force than necessary. Here is how the rule works, who has the burden of proof, and where defendants go wrong.

A domestic violence arrest in Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo, or Port Hueneme usually lands at the Ventura County Hall of Justice. Here is what happens at each step, what the prosecutor must prove, and the mistakes that sink cases.

Penal Code 25850 makes it a crime to carry a loaded firearm in public or in a vehicle. Learn what the prosecutor must prove, when the charge becomes a felony, the defenses that work, and what happens in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles County courts.

Arrested near LAX or in Inglewood, Hawthorne, Westchester, or Culver City? Here is how release, charging, and the first court date at the Airport Courthouse usually work, and the mistakes that cost people their cases.

Forgery under Penal Code section 470 is a wobbler in California. This guide covers the elements the prosecutor must prove, the Proposition 47 $950 rule, the defenses that work, and what a conviction means for your record, your job, and your immigration status.

A 995 motion asks a superior court judge to dismiss felony charges because the preliminary hearing evidence did not establish probable cause or the defendant was not legally committed. Here is how the motion works, the deadlines, the standard the judge applies, and how it is used in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles County.

Embezzlement under Penal Code section 503 is theft by someone who was trusted with the property. Learn the elements, the $950 felony line, defenses, penalties, and what employers and employees should expect in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles County courts.

Arrested in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, or Camarillo? Here is what happens after booking, how release works, and what to expect at your first court date at the Ventura County Hall of Justice.