Proposition 47 Passes Making Many Drug and Theft Offenses Misdemeanors
In case you have not heard yet, Proposition 47 just passed. This means that many felony drug and theft offenses will now be misdemeanors. There is an exception in the law to exclude certain defendants with prior convictions for murder, rape and certain other sex offenses and gun charges. Also, the proposition has a retroactive effect which would allow previously convicted felons to be re-sentenced under the new law. Before re-sentencing the proposition requires some kind of criminal history review by a judge in order to assure the public that the inmate is not a risk to public safety. The proposition could allow some 10,000 convicted felons who are inmates in California’s state prisons who were sentenced to prison sentences to be freed from custody or to have their sentences reduced dramatically.
The proposition would apply to most cases of simple possession of any type of narcotics however it would not apply to possession for sale, transportation or manufacturing drugs. Prop 47 would also affect most theft related offenses when the property loss does not exceed $950. This applies to shoplifting, forgery, receiving stolen property and even fraud.
If you or someone you love has been sentenced to prison and is currently or about to face prison time for a drug possession or theft offense, you should contact a lawyer immediately. This new law could not only you out of prison but it could make your crime a misdemeanor.
Call me: Attorney Jeffrey Vallens (818) 783-5700 or (888) 764-4340 or email me at vallenslaw@yahoo.com
Please visit my sites for more information: www.4criminaldefense.com or www.westlakecriminaldefense.com