Under California law, committing domestic battery can result in a fine of up to $2,000 and/or imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year. If that person is granted probation or their sentence is suspended, then they will be required to participate in and complete a batterer’s treatment program or court designated appropriate counseling program for no less than one year. In order to be considered domestic battery in California, the victim must […]

Under California law, engaging in sexual intercourse with someone under the age of 18 is against the law. The only exception is if the underage person is married to the person they had sex with – California is one of the few states in the country without a minimum age for marriage. However, someone younger than the age of consent, 18, must obtain both a court order and parental consent before the marriage can be […]

Under California law, people convicted of a crime may have the option of reopening their criminal proceedings to reverse the conviction to a dismissal in certain circumstances. Doing so will allow the person to truthfully state that they have not been convicted of a crime, except in some cases, like when applying for certain jobs. Expungement vs. Sealing True expungement is not an option under California law – people convicted of a crime in the […]

Under California law, there are four different forms of correctional supervision someone charged with a crime could face, parole, jail, prison, and probation. When a judge is determining how to sentence someone convicted of a crime, they will take input from the probation department, the defendant’s attorney, and the district attorney. Since the California Community Corrections Performance Incentives Act was passed in 2009, county probation departments have been encouraged to keep people under community supervision […]