Hermosa Beach Public Urination by Citibank, Diversion

The group gravitated to Tower 12 and later The Brews Hall nearby, where they stayed until closing time at 2:00 a.m.

The group then left together and each called Uber for their rides home.  The walk outside into the cold night air made our client realize she needed to urinate.  She went back to The Brews Hall to try to use their restroom, but the door was locked and no one inside seemed to ever hear her knocking.  She then walked over to Tower 12 nearby and tried to use their restroom, too, but was also unsuccessful.

She knew her Uber would be arriving soon, so she walked over near the pickup area, near the Citibank on the corner of Pier Plaza and Hermosa Avenue.  She then decided to simply squat near a parked car.

She then loosened her pants and found a place to squat that she believed would be out of view.

A pair of uniformed Hermosa Beach Police Offices on foot patrol in the area spotted her.  As stated in the police report, the officer observed our client “with her pants around her knees while in a squatting position and a stream of urine was falling from her groin area, which was hitting the ground, making a puddle.”

The officer then issued our client a ticket for violating of Penal Code § 372, “public nuisance,” for urinating in public.  The client signed a promise to appear in the Torrance Superior Court in about three months and was handed the ticket.  The officers then walked away, surely looking for others to cite or arrest in the area.

Our client then found her Uber and returned home.  

About three weeks later, the client called Greg Hill & Associates to discuss her ticket and to ask a few questions.  The client described what happened and asked what would happen in court.  The client explained she had no prior criminal history.

Greg explained how such tickets were prosecuted as a misdemeanor in the Torrance Superior Court and how such cases often resolved.

Greg explained what judicial diversion was and how a judge could suspend proceedings in the case to allow a defendant 90 days, six months or even a year to perform certain obligations to “earn a dismissal.”  Greg explained what terms were often ordered by a judge in a public urination case.

Greg also explained how the Redondo Beach City Prosecutor’s Office would often make an offer of “City Prosecutor” diversion with similar terms for a defendant to “earn a dismissal.”

Greg described how the client could help herself get a better deal with reduced terms or reduced obligations by attending ten or more Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings prior to the arraignment to demonstrate she was trying to better understand the effects of alcohol and how it impaired her judgment and decision-making.  Greg then emailed the client an AA sign-in sheet so the client could record each meeting date, and meeting name.  Greg could then take the AA sign-in sheet to the court to show the prosecutor or judge to negotiate for reduced obligations of diversion.

The client then hired Greg Hill & Associates and attended ten AA meetings within the first two weeks after contacting Greg Hill.  She then emailed Greg her AA sign-in sheet.

About two months later, Greg then appeared in the Torrance Superior Court for the client for her arraignment.  The client stayed at work.

Greg looked over the police report and discussed the case facts.  The Redondo Beach City Prosecutor was impressed that the client had attended ten AA meetings, so she reduced her original “City Attorney” offer of 40 hours of community service to 30 hours, with the alternative that the client could opt instead to make a $350 “donation” to the Hermosa Beach Public Nuisance Abatement Fund through the Hermosa Beach City Finance Office.

The client was happy to hear this offer and planned on performing 30 hours of community service.

When her case was dismissed, Greg explained, she would then be eligible to have the court records and the short police report sealed under Penal Code § 851.91 and § 851.92, meaning the record would be deleted or erased from her criminal history.