Petty theft may involve property wort with little value, but a prior criminal conviction can make a new theft charge more serious. Under California Penal Code § 666.1(a), certain repeat theft offenders may face felony punishment for a subsequent petty theft offense. Understanding the law, penalties, and defenses is important when facing these allegations. If…
The preliminary hearing can significantly shape the direction of a California felony case, but the legal process does not end there. The case may proceed to formal charges, pretrial motions, plea negotiations, and eventually trial. Understanding the timelines for the entire legal process can help defendants protect their rights and prepare for what lies ahead….
Assault with a deadly weapon under California Penal Code § 245(a)(1) is an assault committed with any object — other than a firearm — used in a way capable of causing death or great bodily injury. No one has to be touched or hurt for the charge to be filed. It is a “wobbler,” meaning…
By Nic Cocis, Criminal Defense Attorney — California State Bar member since 1999. Last reviewed September 2026. Most of the people I represent on these charges did not think they were committing a crime. They bought a rifle legally in Arizona or Nevada and moved to Southwest Riverside County. They built a lower receiver from…
By Nic Cocis, Criminal Defense Attorney — California State Bar member since 1999. Last reviewed September 2026. If you were arrested after an argument with your partner and the charge is PC 243(e)(1), the first thing to understand is that the DA does not need to show anyone was hurt. Domestic battery is any willful…
If you left the scene of an accident and are now trying to figure out what happens next, here is the honest starting point. Leaving was the problem, not the collision. California charges hit-and-run for the leaving, regardless of who caused the crash. But what you do in the next few days matters more than…
If you are reading your felony complaint and see lines like CC1 RC 4.421(b)(3), CC2 PC 1203(e)(4), or PC 12022.7(a) after the actual charges, you are looking at the part of the document that decides how much time you are facing. Those lines are not charges. They are special allegations, and in Riverside County they…
If you’ve been charged with second-degree burglary anywhere in Southwest Riverside County, your case will be heard at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta — and our office has defended burglary charges in that courthouse since 1999. Before your first court date, you should know two things that change what this charge actually means. First,…
If you’re facing a road rage case in Southwest Riverside County, it will be prosecuted at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta — and what a conviction does to your record depends entirely on which charge the District Attorney filed, because “road rage” is not itself a crime in California. The same freeway confrontation can…
If you’ve been charged with vandalism under Penal Code § 594(b)(1) in Southwest Riverside County, your case will run through the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta — and the first thing to understand is what that charge citation actually means, because it isn’t what most websites say. Section 594(b)(1) is not “the felony vandalism law.”…
No — domestic violence is not automatically a felony in California. Most domestic violence arrests result in either a misdemeanor charge or a “wobbler” — an offense the Riverside County District Attorney can file as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the alleged injury, your record, and the facts of the incident. Domestic…
If your court paperwork says “Felony Settlement Conference” in Department S-204, here’s what that means: your felony case has been assigned to the one courtroom at the Southwest Justice Center that exists specifically to resolve felony cases before they go to a preliminary hearing or trial. It is not a trial. No witnesses testify, and…
If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges in Southwest Riverside County, time is critical. Contact the Law Office of Nic Cocis today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
