Restitution and owner's release
CASE SUMMARY
Adaptation note: This story is adapted from similar matters handled by Lingtu Law and its peers. Names, places, dates and amounts have been changed, and the outcomes are presented as scenarios only. They do not reflect that similar cases will reach the same result.
Background
T is an international student at a university in Southern California on an F-1 visa, and plans to apply for OPT next year. One day in the campus parking structure she backed up and scraped the door of a car next to hers. No one else was around. She was running late for class and panicked, drove away, and left no note. Surveillance footage captured the license plate, and several weeks later she received a court notice charging her with misdemeanor hit and run. The footage was clear and there was little to dispute. Proceeding normally would likely have meant a guilty plea, and that record would appear in every future visa and status review. The car owner was angry and would not contact her, and she was afraid that approaching the owner herself might be seen as harassing a witness.
Strategy
When she came to us, she was clearly remorseful. She said she had been unable to sleep well for weeks, and had wanted to pay the owner back from the start, but did not know how. For a misdemeanor like this, a judge can dismiss the case before trial if the victim confirms in writing that they have received satisfactory compensation. So we focused on paying first and then applying for dismissal. She did not contact the owner herself. Our attorney reached out through the owner's insurance claims process, paid the full repair estimate and rental car costs, and included a handwritten apology letter from her, with no conditions attached. The owner signed a statement of satisfaction. Before the first formal court appearance, we submitted the repair invoice, payment records, her transcript and a certificate showing no prior record to the court.
Case Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| May 2026 | Scraped the car in the parking structure and drove away |
| June 2026 | Received a court notice; retained Lingtu Law |
| July 2026 | Completed compensation and submitted an apology letter; owner signed a statement of satisfaction |
| August 2026 | Filed a civil settlement and request for dismissal |
| Early September 2026 | Court approved dismissal |
Outcome
The prosecutor did not oppose the motion, and in early September the judge dismissed the case without a conviction. We then helped her apply to seal the record, and showed her how to disclose the matter accurately on future visa applications.