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Your Long Beach Criminal Defense Attorney
California doesn’t apply one filing deadline to every criminal charge: the window scales from as little as one year up to six, or, for the most serious offenses, no deadline whatsoever. California’s Superior Courts, one per county since the 1998 trial-court unification, are where these cases are actually filed, a detail covered further down this page.
What Happens After a California Arrest
What happens after a California arrest depends heavily on the offense class involved, from arraignment and the bail decision through to how the case is ultimately resolved.
When California Can and Can't File Charges
Penal Code §799 removes the deadline entirely for the most serious offenses; §800 sets 6 years for felonies carrying 8 or more years; §801 sets 3 years for other felonies; §802 sets 1 year for misdemeanors. Certain fraud and embezzlement offenses run on a discovery-rule deadline under §803(c): the clock starts when the crime is discovered, not when it happened.
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Cash Bail, Prop 25, and What Changed
Cash bail survived a real attempt to eliminate it: SB 10 (2018) would have replaced it with a risk-assessment system, but Prop 25 (2020) rejected that change statewide. What Humphrey actually requires is an individualized ability-to-pay inquiry before cash bail is set, not a fixed bail-schedule amount applied automatically regardless of what someone can afford.
What a California Conviction Actually Exposes You To
Penal Code § 17(b) lets a judge reduce many wobbler offenses to misdemeanors at sentencing or after probation, which can meaningfully change both the exposure and whether it counts toward Three Strikes later. Realignment under AB 109 (2011) shifted many lower-level felony sentences from state prison to county jail, and Propositions 47 (2014) and 57 (2016) further reshaped exposure by reclassifying many theft and drug felonies as misdemeanors and expanding parole eligibility for non-violent offenses.
What a California DUI Charge Actually Involves
California’s DUI framework under § 23152 treats a first offense very differently from a second: the 10-year lookback window is what actually determines how severe the exposure is. A second DUI within 10 years carries a much harsher range: 90 days to a year in county jail, the same $390-$1,000 fine range, an 18- or 30-month DUI program, a mandatory 12-month ignition interlock requirement, and a 2-year license suspension.
Clearing a California Record After a Conviction
Under § 1203.4, eligible convictions can be set aside through a court petition, changing how the record appears on most background checks without erasing that it existed. The Clean Slate Act’s monthly DOJ review cycle means sealing doesn’t happen the moment eligibility is reached; it happens on the next scheduled review after that point.
Long Beach and California's Statewide Rules
California’s criminal laws don’t vary by city; a case involving Long Beach follows the same filing-deadline, bail, and sentencing rules as anywhere else in the state.
Getting Started With a Long Beach Criminal Defense Case
Because bail and plea decisions often happen fast, reaching out to an attorney early in Long Beach matters more than it might seem at first. The form on this page connects you directly with a criminal defense attorney to go over your situation and next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is California’s statute of limitations for a criminal case?
Under Penal Code §§799-802, the general deadlines are none (death/life-eligible crimes), 6 years (8+-year felonies), 3 years (other felonies), and 1 year (misdemeanors). Certain fraud and embezzlement charges run on a discovery-rule deadline under §803(c) instead of a fixed date.
What does In re Humphrey require courts to do?
In re Humphrey requires an individualized inquiry into a defendant’s ability to pay before setting cash bail, rather than applying a fixed bail schedule automatically. SB 10 was signed into law in 2018 but never took effect because of the 2020 Prop 25 vote.
Is jail time mandatory for a first DUI in California?
Not typically for a true first offense: courts generally impose probation rather than jail, though up to 6 months is legally possible under Vehicle Code § 23152. A fourth DUI within the 10-year lookback window can be charged as a felony rather than a misdemeanor.
What’s the difference between expungement and the Clean Slate Act?
§ 1203.4 requires filing a petition and changes a conviction’s legal status to a dismissal; the Clean Slate Act (SB 731/AB 1076) automatically seals many qualifying records without a petition at all. The Clean Slate Act has been fully in effect, including its automatic monthly DOJ review, since October 1, 2024.
Where would my Long Beach criminal case be filed?
Criminal cases connected to Long Beach are generally filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, California’s single-tier trial court for the county.
The Sooner This Starts, the Stronger the Defense
Bail conditions, plea timing, and how a wobbler ultimately gets classified can all shift based on how early a real defense strategy gets underway in Long Beach. Three Strikes exposure, Clean Slate eligibility, and plea strategy all depend on groundwork that takes real time to do right.
