The Challenge
A high school basketball coach was charged under Penal Code 647.6 — annoying or molesting a child — following allegations that he sent inappropriate text messages to a student. Section 647.6 is a registrable offense: a conviction would have required sex offender registration for life, under the law at the time, which in turn would have cost him his teaching credential and ended his career in education and coaching. In a case like this, the registration requirement — not the sentence — was the entire fight.
Our Strategy
By focusing on the specific context of the communication and the client’s lack of a prior criminal record, we successfully negotiated a plea to a different, non-registrable offense. This resolution allowed the client to resolve the legal matter without the requirement to register as a sex offender, preserving his future employment opportunities.
The Result
CHARGE REDUCED: NO SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION
Your Case Belongs at the Southwest Justice Center.
Your Defense Belongs Here.
If you were arrested in Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Winchester, or French Valley, your future will likely be decided at the Southwest Justice Center (SWJC) on Auld Road. In these courtrooms, local knowledge is the ultimate advantage. Since 1999, Nic Cocis has been a weekly fixture in the SWJC, appearing before the same judges and negotiating with the same Riverside County prosecutors for over 25 years. We don’t just know the law — we know the specific nuances, procedural quirks, and judicial tendencies of the Southwest District. Whether you are facing a felony or a misdemeanor, you need a firm that treats the Southwest Justice Center as its home turf.
