Asked 2/20/2016 – San Marcos, TX

I was arrested for Possession of Marijuana class B this past year. I have since gone to court and chose to speak with prosecutors about plea bargains. Because of my personal work commitments and schedule, I chose to go with the second option offered. This offer was to accept a Class C conviction rather than a Class B, to take a marijuana class, and pay $500. No probation. I am in the process of completing the marijuana class now. I am scheduled to return to court in March. I am trying to figure out what to expect when I return to court with documentation of finishing the class. Would I just need to pay the fine? Will I have to speak with a judge and possibly be drug tested?

Answer

Class c misdemeanors are punishable by fine only, so IF the case has been reduced already, the worst thing that could happen is for you to pay a fine. It’s a different story, however, if the class b charge is still pending, and the agreement is to reduce your charge to a class c only after you complete the class and have the clean UA. If the second scenario is true, failing the UA or not completing the class violates the agreement, so the class b punishment range of up to 180 days in jail, a $2,000 fine and/or up to 24 months of probation is available to the Court. Review your paperwork closely.