Famous anti-war mom Cindy Sheehan was arrested in Sacramento recently along with 18 other demonstrators at Cesar Chavez Park, The Sacramento Bee reports.
The 53-year-old was arrested on a charge of unlawful assembly in the park and failing to follow police orders to disperse. Occupy Sacramento is a planned protest in conjunction with the Occupy Wall Street and now nationwide and worldwide protests based on capitalism and greed that have led to financial problems across the globe.
Unlawful assembly charges in Sacramento or other misdemeanor charges are often defended by the suspects themselves, who have no experience in the law. Sometimes, judges will attempt to work with the suspect, by explaining the charges and some points about the criminal justice system. But not always.
While misdemeanor charges typically result in fines and fees or possible probation, it is possible that a jail term could be imposed, depending on the circumstances. These charges can show up on background checks and can lead to future problems, including loss of a job or disqualification from getting a job or problems with college or scholarship applications.
In some cases, police can charge someone with a misdemeanor only to see prosecutors review the case and change the charges to a felony. This would significantly enhance the possible penalties and certainly require the skills of an experienced Sacramento criminal defense lawyer.
Even in situations where felony charges aren't filed, an attorney can work to get the charges dropped or penalties lessened from possible jail time to probation or simply community service.
According to California Penal Code 407, unlawful assembly simply means when two or more people assemble to conduct an unlawful event, whether violent or if they have been warned to disperse.
According to The Sacramento Bee, the 53-year-old Sheehan was among more than a dozen supporters arrested recently. Since the protests started in early October, 58 people have been arrested at 9th and I streets across from City Hall.
Among those arrested were a person conducting a hunger strike, a person in a wheelchair and others who were protesting peacefully. Unless a person has an extensive criminal history or is a flight risk, most protesters who were arrested likely were released from custody and told to appear in court in a few days.
While it all seems like a minor situation, anyone accused of a crime faces a serious situation. Even if the alleged charge is only a misdemeanor, it is a mark on a person's criminal history record that may never go away.
In the moment, a protester might not think about the repercussions, but if their political leanings change, they want to consider a different career path or have a different outlook on life after many years go by,convictions could prove haunting.
Given the abundance of information on the Internet and the ability for people to access records and police mug shots, a person's face and information could be memorialized on the web forever. But fighting the charge, whatever it is, can preserve one's future and ensure a one-time blemish doesn't lead to a lifetime of problems.
If you need to speak to a criminal defense lawyer in San Francisco or Sacramento, contact Bonilla & Cintean at 916-447-7842 or 415-946-4020 for a free consultation.
More Blog Entries:
Pot Thief Fatally Shot in Sacramento; Alleged Shooter Could Face Murder Charge: September 25, 2011
Additional Resources:
Anti-war activist Sheehan, 18 Occupy Sacramento protesters arrested early today, by Stephen Magagnini, The Sacramento Bee
