CA Residents With Qualifying Felonies Get Reduction Through Prop 47

IF YOU HAVE A CONVICTION FOR A QUALIFYING FELONY in CA and you are not disqualified you may ask your sentencing judge to reduce your conviction to a misdemeanor. The qualifying felonies include:

• Commercial Burglary (Penal Code § 459) that meets the definition of the new crime of shoplifting (see below for that definition).
• Forgery relating to financial instruments listed in Penal Code section 473(b)(Any check, bond, bank bill, note, cashier’s check, traveler’s check or money order), if amount of the item does not exceed $950, and you were not also convicted of identity theft per PC § 530.5. This will include convictions under Penal Code section 470(a), 470(d), 475 and 476.
• Passing bad checks (Penal Code § 476(a)) if the aggregate amount of the checks does not exceed $950, and you have no more than two prior convictions for violations of Penal Code §§ 470, 475, 476 or 476a.
• Grand theft (Penal Code §§ 487(a)-(d), 487a, 487b, 487c, 487d, 487f, 487g, 487h, 487i and 487j) if the value of the stolen property does not exceed $950.
• Receiving stolen property (Penal Code § 496(a)) if the value of the stolen property does not exceed $950.
• Unlawful possession of a controlled substance (Health and Safety code §§ 11350(a), 11357(a) and 11377(a).

You have until 2017 to take advantage of this new law. Here is the link for the form.http://www.lacourt.org/forms/pdf/CRIM235.pdf