Filing a Petition for Expungement.

Being charged with a crime in California is by no means a pleasant experience.  Not only are you facing potential fines, jail time, appearances in court, but damage to your reputation as well!  Because you are a resident of The Big Bear State you have an advantage.  Individuals with criminal records could “clean the slate” through expungement.

Now, this does not mean that your record is clean.  Instead, your guilty plea or conviction will be withdrawn and replaced with a permanent plea of not guilty.  What happens next?  The case is then dismissed as if the conviction never happened in the first place!  As you may have guessed, not every conviction qualifies for expungement.

To find out more about filing a petition for expungement contact San Jose criminal lawyer William Chestnut.  Attorney Chestnut has been dealing with this tricky nuance of California law for many years.  He will help you navigate these waters.  Give Bill a call today to discuss expungement at (408) 298-6990.    

Pot is Legal in California…or is it?

First the facts, recreational use of marijuana became legal in California on January 1, 2018. The legalization is the result of voter passage of Proposition 64 in November 2016.  If you are an adult age 21 and older you may now possess up to one (1) ounce of dried marijuana or eight (8) grams of concentrated cannabis.

Now the gray areas –

1.  It is still a crime for individuals to sell marijuana in The Big Bear State.

2.  You need a state AND local license to distribute it.

3.  Marijuana is still illegal on a national basis.

4.  You can never distribute it to a minor.

5.  And…don’t even think about driving while you are high.

Having a lawyer just a phone call away who has dealt with California drug cases for decades is always important.  For all drug-related charges San Jose criminal defense attorney William Chestnut has been aggressively defending Californians since the 1970’s.  You can count on Bill!  Just give him a call at (408) 298-6990.