Penal Code 977 lets a lawyer appear for you in most misdemeanor cases, which can mean never setting foot in the courthouse. Here are the exceptions, the felony rules, the remote appearance options, and the mistakes that turn a missed date into a bench warrant.

Health and Safety Code 11550 makes it a misdemeanor to use or be under the influence of a controlled substance, even with no drugs found. Here is what the prosecutor must prove, how these cases are defended, and the diversion programs that can keep a conviction off your record.

For non-citizens, the immigration consequences of a plea are often worse than the sentence. This guide explains crimes involving moral turpitude, aggravated felonies, drug, firearm, and domestic violence grounds, the 364-day rule, Padilla and Penal Code 1016.3, and how to vacate an old plea under Penal Code 1473.7.

Speed contests, exhibitions of speed, and sideshow participation are misdemeanors under Vehicle Code section 23109, with a 30-day vehicle impound and possible license suspension. Here is what prosecutors in the Inland Empire and Los Angeles must prove and how these cases are defended.

A detective called and wants your side of the story. Here is what that call usually means, what happens if you talk, what happens if you do not, and how a lawyer can intervene before charges are filed in Riverside, San Bernardino, or Los Angeles County.

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.

Guideline child support usually does not include daycare or uncovered medical bills. Those are add-ons under Family Code section 4062, shared by both parents on top of base support.

Penal Code section 1000 pretrial diversion lets eligible defendants charged with simple drug possession complete a treatment program and have the charges dismissed without a conviction. This guide explains who qualifies, how the program works in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles County courts, and what happens if you do not finish.

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.

California does not require spouses to mediate a divorce, but parents who disagree about custody must attend mediation before a judge hears the dispute. Here is how both kinds of mediation work in Riverside, San Bernardino, and the High Desert.

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.

When a criminal case comes down to an officer's word against yours, a Pitchess motion under Evidence Code 1043 can open the officer's personnel file for prior complaints of excessive force, dishonesty, or planted evidence. Here is the standard, the procedure, and how defense lawyers use it in resisting arrest, DUI, and drug cases.

Vehicle Code 10851 covers far more than stealing cars. Borrowing a friend's car past the agreed time, driving a car someone else stole, or keeping a rental too long can all be charged. Here is what the prosecutor must prove, the Proposition 47 misdemeanor rule, and the defenses that work.

A California DVRO does not end just because the protected person changes their mind. Here is who can ask the court to drop or change it, what the judge considers, and the forms involved.

A guilty or no contest plea is not always final. This guide explains when a California court will allow a plea to be withdrawn under Penal Code section 1018, what good cause means, the deadlines, the immigration-based motion under section 1473.7, and what happens to the plea bargain if the motion is granted.

Disturbing the peace under Penal Code section 415 covers fighting in public, loud and unreasonable noise, and fighting words. This guide explains the elements, the defenses, the penalties, the firearm and domestic violence wrinkles, and why a 415 plea is so often the goal in battery, resisting, and domestic violence negotiations.

Yes. A spouse who willfully ignores a California spousal support order can be held in contempt. Here is how FL-410 contempt works, what you must prove, the three-year deadline, and the alternatives.

Restitution is often the most expensive part of a California criminal case. Here is how victim restitution and the restitution fine work under Penal Code section 1202.4, how the amount is set at a restitution hearing, what happens if you cannot pay, and how restitution shapes plea negotiations in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles County courts.

False imprisonment under Penal Code section 236 is a misdemeanor unless it is accomplished by violence, menace, fraud, or deceit, which makes it a wobbler. Here are the elements, the common defenses, and the domestic violence consequences in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles County courts.