The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
Restitution has been an issue in two cases this week. Briefly, when one person is convicted of committing a crime against another, he is liable for “restitution” or payment for the damages caused by that crime. In a theft case, this means he must repay what he is accused of stealing and any affiliated costs, like replacement goods. In an assault and battery case, he must pay for doctors bills. In a hit and run, he must pay for damages to the other car.
In the Orange County criminal courts, especially the Harbor Justice Center, restitution is handled in one of two ways. It is either spelled out as an exact dollar amount at the time of the plea bargain or “to be determined”. When restitution is “to be determined”, the criminal case file is handed over to the Orange County criminal court’s Victim Witness office, which then contacts the victim and asks them to list the damages that they suffered.