Every guide on this site, grouped by what you are actually dealing with. Each one carries the date it was last checked against the current California code.
If none of these answers your question, the self-help center at your county courthouse is free and will talk to anyone.
Clear Your Record
- How to Get Your Record Expunged in California (Penal Code 1203.4)A California attorney explains what a 1203.4 expungement really does, who qualifies, what it can't fix, and how the petition works, in plain English.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- Arrested but Never Convicted? How to Seal Your Arrest Record in California (PC 851.91)Arrested in California but never convicted? Penal Code 851.91 lets you seal that arrest so it stops showing up. Who qualifies, what to file, and what...
- Getting Your Gun Rights Back After a Felony: What Changed in 2026 (California)Two new paths to firearm rights opened in 2026: California's new out-of-state rule and the federal Justice Department application. Neither one touches a California felony. Here...
- Getting a Felony Reduced to a Misdemeanor in California (Penal Code 17(b))Some California felonies can be turned into misdemeanors. Which ones, when you can ask, what the change really does, and the three things it does not...Last reviewed August 31, 2026
DUI
- First DUI in California: Exactly What Happens, Step by StepYou got arrested for a first DUI in California. Take a breath. Most first DUIs follow the same path, and knowing that path takes away a...Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- The 10-Day Rule: Why You Have to Call the DMV After a DUI ArrestA California DUI starts two cases, not one. You have 10 days to demand a DMV hearing or your license goes automatically. How the clock works...
- DUI With a Kid in the Car: Two Charges, One Punishment, and a Plea Decision That Actually MattersVehicle Code 23572(c) bars the child passenger enhancement if your client is also convicted of Penal Code 273a. Two sets of consequences, one plea decision.Last reviewed August 3, 2026
Restraining Orders
- Served With a Restraining Order in California: What to Do FirstYou were served with a California restraining order. What is already in effect, what the hearing date means, and what not to do before then.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- How to Get a Restraining Order in California (Step by Step)How to ask a California court for a restraining order: which of the four types fits, the forms, what filing costs, and what happens at the...Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- Domestic Violence Restraining Orders in California: The Complete GuideA California attorney explains DVROs: who qualifies, what counts as abuse, the DV-100 forms, the hearing, firearms rules, and how long orders last.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
Going to Court
- How to Dress and Act in Court (So the Judge Takes You Seriously)What California judges notice before you say a word: what to wear, how to act, and the small things that cost people credibility in court.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- What Happens at Arraignment in CaliforniaYour first California court date, step by step: what the judge asks, what your plea means at that stage, and what happens before you leave.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- What Happens If You Miss Your Court Date in CaliforniaMissed a California court date? There is probably a bench warrant. How it was issued, what happens next, and how to get back on calendar.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- I Was Arrested Last Night in California. What Happens Now?Arrested in California but not charged yet? What that means, how long the DA has to decide, and what to do in the days after you...Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- Alternatives to Custody in California: Home Detention, Work Release, Work Furlough, and Split SentencesWho decides whether you serve a California jail sentence at home, on a work crew, or in a reentry center. The judge refers you. The sheriff...
- What Happens After Arraignment in California? Conditions of Release ExplainedReleased after arraignment in California? Courts can order no drinking, SCRAM or GPS monitoring, stay-away orders, firearm surrender, and travel limits.Last reviewed July 30, 2026
- They Didn’t Read Me My Rights. Is My Case Dismissed?A Miranda violation almost never ends a California case. What the warning actually requires, what suppression gets you, and what to say instead.
- I Cut Off My Ankle Monitor. What Happens Now?Cutting off an ankle monitor can be a probation violation or a felony escape. Which one depends on the paperwork. What to do in the first...
- Can a Lawyer Just Clear My Old Warrant? What Actually Happens in CaliforniaA California warrant can be recalled, but not made to quietly disappear. Here is who can go to court for you, who cannot, and why waiting...
Sentencing
- Alternatives to Custody in California: Home Detention, Work Release, Work Furlough, and Split SentencesWho decides whether you serve a California jail sentence at home, on a work crew, or in a reentry center. The judge refers you. The sheriff...
- How Long Does Probation Last in California? (And What Actually Violates It)California capped misdemeanor probation at one year and felony probation at two. Here is who that helps, who it misses, and what really counts as a...
- Sorting Custody Credits Between Cases: The Day That Counts Twice, and the Day That Earns NothingHow a California judge sorts presentence custody credit between cases under Penal Code 2900.5, and why one unpaired day earns no conduct credit.
The Road Back
- My Story to RecoveryEvery article on this site is about the law. This one is about me. Why I write the recovery section, from someone who did not watch...
- That Old Party Photo: Can It Still Get You Charged?An old party photo almost never leads to charges in California. The limitations clock, the one image that never expires, and what your boss can do.
- Court-Ordered AA in California: What Counts, How They Check, and What If You Are Not ReligiousA California judge ordered you to AA meetings. Here is what counts, how the card works, and what to do if a religious program is not...
Written for lawyers, not for people facing a case
Hot Topics in Law
- Using AI in Your Practice: A Beginner’s Guide for California LawyersA starting guide to generative AI for California lawyers: where to begin, what it is bad at, and the exact ethics rules that apply.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- Where AI Helps in a California Practice, and Where It Will Burn YouAn honest ledger for California lawyers already using AI: the real wins, the real failure modes, and how to actually check your citations.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- A Juror Says She Decided on Day Three. Is That a Mistrial?Deciding early is real juror misconduct in California. Why it is so hard to prove after a verdict, and what the Millete jury interviews do and...
Advice for Attorneys
- What I Wish I’d Known Before My First Solo TrialPractical advice for your first solo trial in California: what actually matters in the room, what loses cases, and what nobody tells you beforehand.Last reviewed July 28, 2026
- Alternatives to Custody in California: Home Detention, Work Release, Work Furlough, and Split SentencesWho decides whether you serve a California jail sentence at home, on a work crew, or in a reentry center. The judge refers you. The sheriff...
- DUI With a Kid in the Car: Two Charges, One Punishment, and a Plea Decision That Actually MattersVehicle Code 23572(c) bars the child passenger enhancement if your client is also convicted of Penal Code 273a. Two sets of consequences, one plea decision.Last reviewed August 3, 2026
- When the DV Restraining Order Lands on Your Molestation CaseA DVPA petition needs a qualifying relationship under Family Code 6211. A civil harassment petition does not. Where the jurisdictional fight really is.Last reviewed August 5, 2026
- Pulling the Time Waiver: What the New Clock Actually Gives You, and the Ten Days It Does NotWithdrawing a general time waiver under Penal Code 1382 restarts the clock at 60 days for a felony and 30 for a misdemeanor. No 10-day grace...
- Sorting Custody Credits Between Cases: The Day That Counts Twice, and the Day That Earns NothingHow a California judge sorts presentence custody credit between cases under Penal Code 2900.5, and why one unpaired day earns no conduct credit.