Public Work Service

[travis7585]

I plead guilty in CA to being under the influence of drugs. 1st time offender. I was put on informal probation and assigned public work service. I didn't do it because I was using and living on the street, so a warrant was issued. I moved to my grandma's in Alabama to go clean and now I'm going to college.

If I provide proof of enrollment in school to show that I've turned my life around and hire a lawyer in CA to request my work hours be converted to a fine, what are my chances?

 

[army judge]

I plead guilty in CA to being under the influence of drugs. 1st time offender. I was put on informal probation and assigned public work service. I didn't do it because I was using and living on the street, so a warrant was issued. I moved to my grandma's in Alabama to go clean and now I'm going to college.

If I provide proof of enrollment in school to show that I've turned my life around and hire a lawyer in CA to request my work hours be converted to a fine, what are my chances?

If you don't return to California, this will be of no import to you.
Your "plan" will likely be rejected.
You don't make warrants disappear by making a deal with the court.
But, California is broke.
They won't extradite you from Alabama for a minor drug offense.
That said, the warrant will not just disappear unless you take some affirmative steps to address it.
Hiring an attorney in Alabama or California is a start!
Good luck!

 

[bluemann33]

Good for you turning your life around, that said army is right. The warrant will not just go away. You should talk to an attorney because what happens when you go to get a job and it shows up? Good luck to you.

 

[CdwJava]

Having an active warrant can restrict your ability to obtain gainful employment, it can prohibit access to government loans, welfare and social security benefits, and can cause endless hours of detentions as police try to clear up the matter whenever you are stopped and they get a hit on the warrant.

While CA will almost certainly not extradite you, the warrant will not go away and it can dog you for the rest of your life unless you take care of it.

Chances are that simply hiring an attorney will not do it. You will also likely have to surrender here, or, work out a deal to appear before a judge. It is very unlikely that you will be able to avoid appearing before a California court to settle this.