Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles to hold Long Beach Prop. 47 clinic

The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles is holding a Long Beach event to help people reduce nonviolent felony convictions to misdemeanors under a new state law.

The foundation’s Proposition 47 clinic on Saturday will be a “one stop shop” where people get all their petitions and other paperwork filled out and ready for filing in the courts, said Kevin Reyes, who is working with the foundation.

“There’s a huge demand for these services,” he said. “We usually have a lot of interest. We’re doing this because we want to improve the community and help people with the problems they’re facing. People shouldn’t be defined by the worst moment in their lives.”

Doug Haubert, Long Beach city prosecutor, was not familiar with Saturday’s event, but said generally that the whole community benefits from having more people employed or employable; having felonies on one’s record can make getting a job more difficult.

Prop. 47

Proposition 47 is a ballot initiative passed by voters in 2014 that reduces nonviolent, simple drug possession felony charges to misdemeanors. It also reclassifies petty theft, receiving stolen property, and forging or writing bad checks from felonies to misdemeanors if the amount involved is $950 or less.

The reclassifications, however, are not automatic, according to the Califoia Department of Corrections. Those currently serving felony sentences must file for a resentencing, and those who have completed their sentence have to file a petition to have their conviction reduced to a misdemeanor.

Details on the clinic

Saturday’s event is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast Campus, 1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway in Room GG 238. A number of services will be offered, including petitioning for resentencing prior felonies affected by Prop 47 as misdemeanors; records expungement for those not currently facing charges, or on parole or probation; and immigration law counseling.

The event is free but registration is highly encouraged because walk-ins are not guaranteed an appointment. Call 323-985-8740 to register in English or Spanish; 213-482-4723 to register in Tongan or Samoan; and 1-800-867-3126 to register in Khmer.

Everyone who attends is also highly encouraged to bring any case dockets applicable to their convictions — available from any Los Angeles County Courthouse at the clerk’s office — or their RAP sheet, which is available from the U.S. Department of Justice.

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