Probation Violation

When someone pleads guilty or is convicted of a crime, many people think that their case is over. In fact, in can be just the beginning of a difficult and stressful period of being on Probation. As part of the conviction, the Judge likely ordered probation conditions that can include alcohol/drug treatment, anger management, mental health treatment, community service, restitution, fines, and No Contact Orders. Failure to comply with these conditions can lead to a person being summoned back into court, or having a warrant issued for their arrest.

Being called back to court for a Probation Violation can be a scary experience. The violation can lead to jail time, increased supervision by a probation officer, additional conditions, and increased costs for probation fees. Many times the clients who call us have active warrants out for their arrest based on probation violations. They are scared of going to jail, losing their jobs, and being away from their families. Hiring at attorney at this stage is essential. Our firm has handled hundreds of probation cases since 2005, and assisted those clients in navigating the system to stay out of jail. No matter how old the case or warrant is, we can help.

The first step in handling a probation case is to find out what exact violation the Court or probation officer is claiming. This is done by contacting the Court or looking the case up online to determine when the conviction occurred, what conditions were ordered, and what the allegations of non-compliance are. We then attempt to talk to the probation officer directly to gather more information about the situation. Once we know what we have a full picture about the violation that was filed, we talk to our clients to get their side of the story. Often times, our clients have completed the court-ordered conditions and the violation is based on the fact that the correct paperwork did not get to the correct person at probation.

Our goal at the probation hearing is to either provide documentation that the probation condition was actually completed, or when our clients are not in compliance with their probation conditions, we explain to the Court what happened and suggest alternative options other than jail time.

Clients who have an attorney representing them at probation violation hearings almost always achieve better outcomes than those who choose to represent themselves and stand alone in front of the Judge.

If you are facing a probation violation, or if your loved one is in jail for a probation violation, call us now to discuss the situation. Our consultations on these types of cases are free.