I need help. I was recently arrested and charged with lewd conduct in Los Angeles. According to the police, they saw me having sex with several guys in a wooded area of Elysian Park, but the truth is that I was only walking through the area while others were engaging in sex. When the police came in, the ones having sex ran and so they grabbed me.

What do I do? I have so many questions.
1) Do I plead Not Guilty? If I plead Not Guilty and they convict me anyway, will the penalty be worse than if I had just plead Guilty?
2) Is it possible that they will send me to jail for this, my first offense, especially if I try to plead Not Guilty?
3) Will they notify my employer (a college), and could my college fire me?
4) Isn’t it true that for a lewd conduct charge to stick, there has to have been a third party present who was offended OTHER than the arresting officer(s)? I’ve heard this but don’t know if it’s true. If it’s true, does that mean the charge will be thrown out?
5) Will I be questioned as to my sexual orientation or history, or asked whether I’ve ever had sex in that park before? If so, should I lie about these things?
6) Can anyone refer me to an attorney? Other than attorney, is there a resource I should contact that takes an interest in bogus ‘lewd conduct’ arrests here in Los Angeles?
7) Based on what I’ve shared, is there any chance the charge might be thrown out? What does that even mean exactly?

And in general, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Thanks so much for any help
Dcfan

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