Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher Julio Urias was arrested in Los Angeles in early September for allegations of felony domestic violence (PC 273.5). Since then, Urias bailed out of jail and a court date was set. As pointed out in this video by Managing Partner David P. Shapiro, as of the date of the video, no charges have formally been filed by the District Attorney against Urias. Nevertheless, many people rush to judgment without knowing the facts, without charges being filed, and without knowing if charges will ever be filed. Urias was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence in 2019, but no charges ever came from that arrest. He was, however, suspended for 20 games by Major League Baseball. 

David also speaks about some of the issues involved after someone is arrested for domestic violence. In particular, he discusses the fact that the District Attorney’s office has to make a decision on whether to file charges, a decision which is largely a function of whether they believe the charge can be proven in court beyond a reasonable doubt. David’s ultimate point is that just because someone is arrested, it doesn’t mean they will be charged with a crime, and just because they’ve been charged, it doesn’t mean they are guilty or will be convicted of what they are charged with, let alone any criminal offense.

As one of our attorneys, who shall remain nameless, learned earlier this week after their own traffic infraction case resolved, the San Diego Superior Court is making it easier for those to pay the cost of tickets for traffic infractions. The tool, made available this month and located online, can be used to ask for (a) a reduction in the amount of your ticket, (b) a payment plan, (c) community service in lieu of a fine, or (d) more time to pay your ticket. You can also make a payment for the citation online using a credit card.

This new system is known as the MyCitation program. Once you access the program online, you can look up your citation. You’ll be asked several simple questions and be given an opportunity to request a reduction in your ticket cost, perform community service in lieu of payment, and/or request additional time to pay. We hope that the new system will make it easier for people to deal with the infractions, specifically those who have fallen on hard times and who may be struggling financially.