HS 11357b

Hi, I am from California and I was recently fined for possession of marijuana(HS 11357b). I understand that i face at least a $100 fine, however i have not yet received anything by mail so I was wondering if I pay at the courthouse? The cop had marked infraction on my ticket rather than misdemeanor, so I was wondering what i can expect when i go to the courthouse. Will I be facing a judge and should i make a preguilty plea under penal code 1000 in which i complete a drug diversion program? Any information would be helpful. Thanks.

JohnHamilton said:

Hi, I am from California and I was recently fined for possession of marijuana(HS 11357b). I understand that i face at least a $100 fine, however i have not yet received anything by mail so I was wondering if I pay at the courthouse? The cop had marked infraction on my ticket rather than misdemeanor, so I was wondering what i can expect when i go to the courthouse. Will I be facing a judge and should i make a preguilty plea under penal code 1000 in which i complete a drug diversion program? Any information would be helpful. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Attend court on the date and time indicated on the citation. If you plead guilty (or are found guilty) then you will face a fine of up to $100 plus associated fees and assessments for a total that should be over $300.

Yes, diversion is potentially available, but you might want to consult an attorney as to what programs are available in your area and whether it is the best decision for you.

hope you haven't gone to court yet......

Are you a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger? You should be. In October he passed SB:1449 (senate bill),effective 01/01/2011, that reduces 11357(b)from a misdemeanor to a measly little infraction. 11357(b) is the lowest level misdemeanor possible-and now has been reduced to the severity of a speeding ticket. Essentially--pay the fine and kick rock! Barring any other items on your citation, you should be able to escape relatively unscathed - minus fines and penalties.(Unless you're under 21 or drive as an occupation -in which case you may be highly screwed.) Get online and check it out...{SideNote: CdwJava is the Obi-Wan of this site -his advice is gold-when in doubt listen to him-especially if you're from Southern CA.}.

don't plead to pc1000

you should be able to walk out of there without signing up for diversion-unless you're under 21 or drive for a living-in which case you'll lose your license if you don't. It is not a point on your DMV record and is automatically
destroyed as part of your record after 2 years...Ask yourself this:Can you stay out of trouble for 2 years? Yes?--then you're cool,.....No? Then do the diversion, you may need it.