Drug offense hearings in California may be delayed due to budget cuts

Recent budget cuts in the California court system have resulted in closed courts, fewer staff and many delays in civil cases, but also in criminal cases such as drug arrest trials and hearings.

An LA Times article states that the California courts have lost about 65% of their state support in the last 5 years and affects from those cuts are continuing to increase. These cuts are causing delays in hearings and trials, causing records to go unprocessed for many months, and reducing the number of services at public windows.
What does this mean for those arrested for a Drug Arrest?
One of the most damaging results of a drug arrest is the amount of time and money lost during the court proceedings.  Time spent finding an attorney, attending hearings and meeting court requirements can cause substantial time away from work and personal commitments, not to mention to costs to hire an attorney.   The recent California budget cuts could extend these delays and cost you more time and money..  
What is Penal Code 1000 PC?

Deferred entry of judgment, defined in Penal Code 1000 PC, allows eligible defendants the opportunity to have their criminal proceedings suspended while they complete a drug treatment program.

Most of the time, the defendant enters a guilty plea to the charge. If the judge determines that the defendant is a good candidate for drug diversion, he or she will suspend the criminal proceedings. typically for a period of 18 months, although it may be as long as three years while the defendant participates in a drug rehabilitation program. This judgment could be further delayed by the recent California budget cuts that are causing substantial delays for criminal hearings.

A drug rehabilitation program is one that has been certified or deemed credible and effective by the applicable county drug program administrator. The defendant may request to be referred to a program in any county, as long as the program meets this criteria. However, if the defendant is not a resident of California, the judge may approve an online drug diversion program.

If the defendant successfully completes the program, the judge dismisses the charges and. with only a few exceptions, the defendant may truthfully state that he or she has never been arrested for the charged offense.
However, if the judge does not believe that the defendant would benefit from treatment, or the defendant does not successfully complete his or her course of treatment, the judge will impose sentence on the charges.

In many cases, your attorney or the judge will recommend court approved online Drug Diversion Program as part of your sentence. Tom Wilson Counseling Center provides online DUI classes specifically designed for out-of-state residents that received a DUI in the State of California.
Register online for the following online classes.  We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, as well as debit cards.  If you need to arrange to make payments, please call our office directly at 1.877.368.9909, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm MST.
Benefits of Online Classes:

  • 100% online and available 24/7
  • Secure registration and payment
  • Convenient and Confidential

Classes Available for California Deferred Entry of Judgment Penal Code 1000:

Visit www.deferredentryofjudgment.com  to register for online class.

Additional Sources: 

http://www.shouselaw.com/drug-diversion.html