The sentence ends. The felony does not. Years after you have paid your debt to society you can still be turned down for jobs and housing, shut out of state professional licenses, and barred from gun ownership and voting, which is why an attorney handling felony reduction to misdemeanor is really working on the rest of your life rather than on the old case.
Reducing a felony to a misdemeanor can restore some of those rights. It may also make the conviction eligible for expungement afterwards.
Are You Eligible?
California law allows felony reduction to misdemeanor in certain specific situations. In order to be eligible, your felony conviction must be for a “wobbler” crime. A wobbler is an offense that can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony at the prosecutor’s discretion. Additionally, you must have been sentenced to probation or county jail, not state prison. Finally, you must have successfully completed all the terms of your probation and you must not have committed any new criminal offenses.
The best way to determine if you are eligible for felony reduction to misdemeanor is to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney like Alejo Lugo for personalized advice.
Why You Need an Attorney
Requesting a felony reduction to misdemeanor isn’t as simple as just filling out a form and submitting it. There are many tasks to attend to and nuances to consider, which is why you will want a criminal defense lawyer to handle the process for you.
For example, normally you would need to wait to complete your probation in order to request a felony reduction to misdemeanor. But with an attorney’s help, it may be possible to petition the court for early termination of probation so you can get the process started sooner.
Another reason you need an attorney is that an experienced attorney like Alejo Lugo understands what factors judges consider when deciding whether or not to grant felony reduction to misdemeanor requests. Your attorney can ensure the judge has all the accurate information they need to make a decision in your case. This includes information about the facts of the original case, your behavior on probation, your criminal history, and any special circumstances that may be relevant.
Call Now to Learn More
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of felony reduction to misdemeanor, call us at (800) 497-0018 for a consultation. Our fully bilingual office can handle your case in English or Spanish from start to finish.