Can I get federal probation if I am level 33 in zone D?: I have a federal drug possession charge. I have severe childhood trauma, I have been cooperating and I just had a baby who is one month old as well as 2 other kids age 4 and 3. I have been doing mental health counseling and I have been going to college. I am the only caregiver for my children. Can I receive probation?
Karren’s answer: Depending on the quality of your cooperation, the federal prosecutor should make a 5K motion to bring your level 33 down when they file their sentencing brief. Your attorney will also have to submit your sentencing brief and submit all of your mitigation to the judge. Then it will be completely up to the judge. It’s not impossible to get probation for a level 33, but your cooperation will have to be deemed extremely substantial to bring the level significantly down.
What is the best legal defense towards a woman in her early 70s taking a tablet that was left on a public bus stop bench?: My mother saw a tablet in a public bench and took it. Unbeknownst to her, it belongs to the city fire department. Police arrived at our residence and began questioning her, trying to implicate her that she took it knowing it was the property of the fire department. She was promptly arrested for theft.
Karren’s answer: My first question would be, were there any identifying marks on the tablet that showed it was Fire Department property? If so, that could be problematic. The main thing is she is 70 years old. I have no idea what statements she made to the police, but if she has any type of mental health/cognitive issues, that may help her defense. Also, hopefully the LA County DA does not actually file charges on this. Just because the police decide to arrest someone, does not mean charges actually get filed by the DA's office. A DA will have to review the police report and decide if there are actually going to file something against her.
Am I facing jail time for a first time violation after a five year probation ?:
I received a public intoxication misdemeanor
2 weeks ago unfortunately Got arrested .
Am I facing jail time for a first time violation after a five year probation ? I was in my last year of probation and before I’ve never had any citations or got into any trouble , I’m curious of what I might be facing , help.
Karren’s answer: It depends what you pled guilty to and why you were put on 5 years of probation. If it was an alcohol-related offense, that could be a problem. If alcohol had nothing to do with your probation terms, it is doubtful you would get jail time, especially in Los Angeles County. You may want to start doing AA meetings now, keep proof of them, and then give them to the judge to mitigate the consequences for the public intoxication offense.