Before You Submit Your License Application Or Report Your Conviction -- You May Be Eligible To Have Certain Felony Violations Designated As Misdemeanors Under Penal Code 1170.18 (Prop. 47)

If you have been convicted of certain felonies and are eligible under the recently passed Proposition 47 which enacted Penal Code Section 1170.18, you may be eligible to have the felony designated as a misdemeanor and/or resentenced as a misdemeanor.  

Here are some frequently asked questions our office is receiving:

Who Should Seek Relief Under Penal Code Section 1170.18 (Prop. 47)?
My recommendation is that anyone who is eligible should seek relief. Felony convictions can result in negative collateral consequences for future student loans, SBA loans, job opportunities, background checks for jobs, clearance for coaching kids' sports or volunteering, admission to colleges, and licensing by governmental agencies, among other things. Reducing to a misdemeanor will at least make some of these exclusions "discretionary" instead of mandatory.  

When Should I Seek Relief Under Penal Code Section 1170.18 (Prop. 47)?
I recommend doing it now. The statute provides that relief should be sought within 3 years of the enactment of the statute or later for good cause. You do not know what you could be doing in 3 years or how this can effect your future. Do not put it off and do it now.  

How Can Penal Code Section 1170.18 (Prop. 47) Affect A Licensing Board's Determination on Discipline?
If a felony is reduced to a misdemeanor, then the disciplinary guidelines will be more favorable to a misdemeanor conviction. With Section 1170.18, this gives individuals convicted of certain felonies the opportunity to reduce it to a misdemeanor.  In addition, this can be used to help show rehabilitation and mitigating evidence.  

Some felonies known as "wobblers" can be reduced to a misdemeanor under Penal Code Section 17(b) but that reduction is discretionary with the court. This new statute gives individuals convicted of felonies another avenue.

Who Is Eligible?
Anyone who has been convicted of the following  California state crimes (not federal) and meets the eligibility criteria:

Health and Safety Code Section 11350 [Possession of a controlled substance] 
Health and Safety Code Section 11357(a) [Possession of a concen. cannibis] 
Health and Safety Code Section 11377(a) [Possession of methamphetamine] 
Penal Code Section 459 [Second Degree Burglary] or Section 459.5
Penal Code Section 473 [Forgery]
Penal Code Section 476a [Bad Checks/Fraud]
Penal Code Section 496 [Receiving Stolen Property] 
Penal Code Sections 484/666 [Felony of Petty Theft With a Prior/Shoplifting]

For theft charges to be reduced, the amount at issue must have been less than $950.

Also the court will not change your charges from felonies to misdemeanors if you have certain strike priors, or if you are required to register pursuant to Penal Code Section 290(c). 
  
What Will Be The Effect of Having The Petition Granted? 
A re-designation means that the conviction is now deemed a misdemeanor for all purposes, except that re-designation does not permit the defendant to own, possess, or have in their custody or control, any firearm or prevent their conviction under Chapter 2 (commencing with Penal Code Section 29800 felon with a gun) of Division 9 of Title 4 of Part 6.  

What Does The Court Consider And Will Be The Effect of Having The Petition Granted? 
If the person is eligible under Section 1170.18(f), the court shall grant the petition.  Section (f) eligibility is where the felony conviction, whether by trial or plea, would have been a misdemeanor under this act had Section 1170.18 been in effect at the time of the offense. No hearing is necessary to grant or deny an application filed under subsection (f) but a hearing can be requested.

For other offenses, where there are no disqualifies present under Penal Code Section 1170.18(b)(1)-(3) and (i), a re-designation will be granted unless the court, in its discretion, determines that resentencing the petitioner would pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety. In exercising its discretion, the court may consider all of the following:

(1) The petitioner's criminal conviction history, including the type of crimes committed, the extent of injury to victims, the length of prior prison commitments, and the remoteness of the crimes.

(2) The petitioner's disciplinary record and record of rehabilitation while incarcerated.

(3) Any other evidence the court, within its discretion, determines to be relevant in deciding whether a new sentence would result in an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety.

"Unreasonable risk of danger to public safety" means an unreasonable risk that the defendant will commit a new violent felony within the meaning of Penal Code Section 667(e)(2)(C)(iv).

How Long Does This Process Take?  
The petition process may take between 15 to 60 days, depending on the details of the case and the amount of time it takes to prepare the petition.

Our office is handling these matters and contacting clients to make sure they take advantage of this new law.  If you want your case evaluated, feel free to call or email our office for a complimentary 15 minutes consultation.

Posted by Tracy Green, Esq.
Green and Associates, Attorneys at Law
Email: tgreen@greenassoc.com
Call:    213-233-2260