My question involves criminal law for the state of: California
Please excuse the long question here, the whole matter is sort of complex. My good friend was arrested for shoplifting last year and was sentenced to 3 years informal probation and 80 hours of community service. About six months later, she was caught in position of "drug paraphernalia" and was arrested and charged with felony position and probation violation. She got off pretty easy...was sentenced to PC1000 and probation was reinstated. She was doing everything she had to in compliance with court but was having problems at home with husband. To make a long story short, after his third time of him calling police on her whenever they would fight, CPS got involved. Basically, her husband made her out to be this drug addicted bad mother, which is so far from the truth, but CPS and Social Services bought his line of BS and made her sign a Safety Contract and told her that to keep her kids she would have to go to detox for 3 days and then to this mental health program for two weeks (not rehab). Her social worker said she'd be able to get housing benefits through this program so her and her kids could move out, away from her husband. So she agreed and went to detox and the treatment center. During this time, she had a court date to review her progress, i guess, which of course she missed, due to being in treatment. She let her case worker know of her pending court date and apparently nothing was done because a warrant was issued for her arrest for failure to appear. The sheriffs picked her up two days after she got home from treatment. Here's my questions...first, isn't the social/case worker supposed to act as the court liason is situations like this. I mean, the past month she has done everything that CPS required and yet she's in jail? I feel as if she got railroaded...or hung out to dry. I mean, she was threatened with her kids being taken away so she did what was required and now she's facing even more jail time for probation violation? Her hearing is tomorrow...what should she expect to happen? Any advice would be appreciated. Once again, sorry for the long back story. She feels that she is fighting a losing battle and has no one in her corner who she can trust or rely on to get her and her kids out of this horrible home life they presently are in. What can she do? Thanks so much.

