Probation Violation: Consequences and Penalties

No person in the world is perfect and that is the reason why we make mistakes so often. Still, the important thing is to make sure that our mistakes do not affect the lives of people around us in a very negative way. Our actions must not harm anyone else and if you have managed to break the law, have no doubts – you will be held responsible for it.

With that said, some crimes are not as serious as others. The court is not always throwing everyone to jail. On the contrary, if the crimes were not that serious, the convicted person actually gets a second chance. This chance comes in form of probation. The judge may be willing to substitute a jail sentence for the probation. Of course, it does not mean that the individual will be set free. There are certain terms and conditions of probation that the convicted individual will be obliged to follow at all times.

The conditions of probation vary from case to case and generally depend on a variety of factors. However, there are several things that are common for any probation. First of all, you will be obliged to report to your probation officer on a day to day basis. He will monitor you and your actions in order to make sure that you are not intending to commit a crime yet again. Furthermore, you may be obliged to perform drug tests every week in order to make sure that you remain sober. In addition, you will be required to attend to special alcohol or drug awareness classes as well as perform community service. The type of community service also depends on the crimes that you have committed. A special tracking device may be attached to your foot or your arm in order to track your movements. You will be prohibited from getting in contact with any criminal elements and you will need to stay as far away from any criminal activity as possible.

Furthermore, it is very important for you to attend the probation hearing. Some people do not realize how important it really is and miss the hearing. However, it is crucial for you to be there or to send a qualified and experienced attorney instead (if allowed to). Otherwise, you risk getting a bench warrant, which means that you will be charged with probation violation (PENAL CODE SECTION 1191-1210.5) and arrested.

In certain cases, the judge will be willing to provide you with yet another chance and will allow you to remain on probation, but for an extended period of time and with new conditions. One way or the other, you will need to find yourself a good attorney, who will be able to minimize the sentence and who could negotiate better probation conditions for you. Only a top quality legal representative will be able to help in a situation like this, so do not neglect to contact a lawyer as soon as possible.

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