SAN FERNANDO : Dismissal of Probation Terms in 23 Cases Upheld
The appellate division of Los Angeles Superior Court has ruled that a San Fernando judge did not exceed her authority when she dismissed misdemeanor probation sentences in 23 cases for defendants who pleaded guilty or no contest to later felony charges.
San Fernando Municipal Judge Juelann K. Cathey angered city prosecutors last month by dismissing misdemeanor probation sentences imposed earlier on defendants who pleaded guilty or no contest in her courtroom to felony charges, which are handled by the district attorney’s office.
City attorney’s officials maintained that their office should have been notified before Cathey made decisions on misdemeanors because their agency is typically in charge of prosecuting such charges. In some cases, the sentences imposed on the defendants for felony offenses were shorter than the probation terms they had been given, the city attorney’s office said.
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