Golden State Justice ConsultantsLed by Anthony RobertsGolden State Justice ConsultantsLed by Anthony RobertsFor first-time defendants in San Diego County — support to overcome the anxiety and stress of this life transition. We explain what to expect from charges, through jail and reception, to your final facility in the California prison system, and how to live well once you are there.
Your life is not over. There is life after this “phase.”
Preparation is the difference between arriving bewildered and arriving ready. Here is what we work through, and what you take away in writing.
Everything we cover is backed by written material prepared for exactly this situation, and you keep it. Your family gets their own. And for thirty days after we meet, you can call with any question at all — there is no such thing as one you should not ask.
We make no promises about outcomes. Judges, prosecutors, and CDCR hold that authority — not us. What we can do is prepare you well enough to advocate for yourself effectively.
Supervision conditions are the rules you live under while your case is open, if you are released. Common ones include checking in with Pretrial Services, no new arrests, surrendering firearms and sometimes a passport, travel limits, stay-away orders, drug or alcohol testing, a curfew, and in some cases electronic monitoring. Which ones apply is decided by the judge in your case.
The timeline runs roughly: arrest → arraignment → for felonies, a preliminary hearing → further hearings and motions → resolution. Dates move often, and defendants frequently agree to delays. Expect months, not weeks.
A mitigation packet is the material given to the judge before sentencing to show who you are beyond the charge — character letters, work history, treatment or counselling records, community involvement, restitution made, and your own statement. Your attorney files it; you and your family do most of the gathering. We help you understand what belongs in it. Start early — good character letters take weeks to collect.
We also help you understand where you would serve — many non-violent, non-serious felonies are served in county jail rather than state prison — and what your sentence actually means in time, once credits are applied.
Surrender day hour by hour. Holding, search, property, clothing and bedding. The medical and mental health screening, and why to answer it honestly.
Then reception — the stretch most people find hardest. Bus transfers in restraints. Holding cells. Weeks of not knowing when you will move, where you will go, or when you can next call home. This is the part Anthony can describe from the inside: not just what happens, but what it does to you, and how to get through it without coming apart.
The unwritten rules of institutional life, and the disciplinary system behind them. How the classification committee works and what to raise when you sit before it.
Then the practical side: earning credits through education, vocational and rehabilitative programs; the trust account, canteen and restitution deductions; quarterly packages; and how your family visits, calls and writes.
Whether you leave on state parole or county supervision is decided by your conviction, not your conduct inside — and one of the two requires you to report to a county agency within days of walking out. Miss it and you have a violation before you have found somewhere to sleep.
What you actually receive on release and why not to count on it. Identification, housing and benefits — all of which should be started months ahead, not on the day.
Record relief — what it genuinely does, what it does not do, and the combination most people never hear about. Employment disclosure and professional licensing. Firearms and voting rights.
And the questions that must go to an attorney instead of to us, which we will tell you plainly.
We stand alongside you and your attorney — never in place of one — to explain what happens next and help you and your family prepare for it, physically and emotionally.
These are your attorney's job, not ours. Knowing the vocabulary helps you ask better questions and get more out of every meeting you pay for.
We focus on San Diego County — its Superior Court and its jails — and on the California state system your case may lead into.
At 77 and a first-time defendant, I went through this same nightmare — and not only survived, but returned to normal life stronger, smarter and healthier. You can do it too.
The most valuable commodity possible is education of what’s to come. We will let you know what is headed your way, and how to take advantage of possible opportunities to improve an incarcerated lifestyle.
Learning stress management is what we help you with. You will survive. We support you with genuine empathy and proven paths to take. I have repurposed myself into a bridge for you and others.
You will shift from surviving a difficult personal situation to mastering the art of resilience and survival in a future that is unknown to you at this moment.
“We had no idea what intake at the reception center would actually look like, or how long the classification process would take. Having someone walk us through it, step by step, changed how our whole family handled those first weeks.”— Family of a first-time client, San Diego, California
Every client reviews and signs this agreement before the first session. It lays out, in plain terms, what Anthony does, what he does not do, the fees, and the boundaries that protect you both — including that he is not an attorney and does not provide legal advice.
Three pages. Read it on your own time, print it, or bring it with you to your first session.
Bring a signed copy to your first session, or sign it together with Anthony when you meet. If you have questions about anything in it, ask before you sign — that is exactly what the free first conversation is for.
Please only send payment after you and Anthony have spoken and agreed on a stage. If you are not sure what you owe or when, call first — nothing here needs to be paid in advance of that conversation.
There are two ways to pay. Choose one. Either send payment by Zelle from your own bank, or pay by card or PayPal using the buttons below. You do not need to do both.
Haven’t spoken with Anthony yet? Start with the intake form or call (619) 999-7866. There is nothing to pay until you have talked and agreed on a stage.
Send from your own bank’s app or website to:
(619) 999-7866
Anthony Roberts
Zelle is built into most banking apps and online banking sites — look for “Send Money with Zelle” or “Zelle” under transfers or payments. Please include your name in the memo.
No fees for either of us, and it arrives straight away.
Choose the stage you agreed on. You can pay by debit or credit card without a PayPal account, or from your PayPal balance.
Please put your name in the notes when paying so the payment can be matched to you.
Fees are due as described at the time you and Anthony agree on a stage. Stage Three is payable before your surrender date, as arrangements become difficult once you are in custody. Payments are for preparation and educational services only. No legal services are provided and no outcome of any kind is promised.
Every case begins with a phone conversation to see if we can be of help — no cost, no obligation, and no judgment. Tell us where you are in the process, we’ll analyze your situation, see if we can be of help, and if so, set up a face-to-face meeting.
Tell us where you are in the process and we’ll let you know what steps come next and how to navigate them.
Anthony will call you at the time you selected, usually within one business day. If you would rather not wait, you can reach him directly at (619) 999-7866.