The Challenge
A months-long undercover investigation uncovered alleged large-scale marijuana cultivation operations at multiple locations across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, charged under Health & Safety Code § 11358. Our client was also found in possession of dozens of AR-15-style rifles — exposure that, depending on configuration, can mean separate assault-weapon charges under Penal Code § 30605 and firearm enhancements on top of the cultivation counts. Citing the scale of the operation and the arsenal, prosecutors sought a state prison sentence.
Our Strategy
We engaged in direct negotiations with the prosecution while presenting evidence that placed our client’s actual role in the operation in context — a multi-location, multi-defendant investigation does not make every participant a principal. At the same time, we documented significant mitigating factors in our client’s personal background and family circumstances. We argued that prison was unnecessary and that a structured alternative would better serve the interests of justice; the court agreed, and our client was sentenced to home confinement rather than state prison.
The Result
HOUSE ARREST INSTEAD OF PRISON
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.
