California Legal Information

Without One Plea was founded by Lonnie G. Schmidt, who was falsely arrested, illegally prosecuted, and imprisoned in a California state prison by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). After investigating the unlawful prosecution practices within California, Lonnie made a groundbreaking discovery that could potentially set California inmates free by the thousands. What did Lonnie uncover? 

Lonnie learned that for decades, California has been prosecuting felonies and accepting pleas without an "indictment" from a grand jury or an "information" from a sworn officer of the court. Hundreds of thousands of felonies have been wrongly documented as "convictions" after being filed as "felony complaints" by the District Attorney (DA). Remarkably, there is no legal basis for a "felony complaint" that the DA can use, and thus no valid plea available for such fraudulent accusatory pleadings. Complaints are only applicable to misdemeanors and/or infractions. 

In a similar vein, following these unlawful prosecutions, the Superior Court Judges have neglected to sign and file a formal judgment in the court record. Without a judgment (court order), there is no conviction, no opportunity for appeal, and no legal authority to imprison any sane individual. 

Lonnie, along with many California inmates, has already begun the fight in the courts against these illegal practices and has notified the involved state officers while demanding relief. The essential information you or your imprisoned loved one needs to file your own writ of habeas corpus, "sue" for your freedom, or seek other remedies can be found within the pages of this website. Enjoy!