In many cases, when you get in trouble with the law, you could find yourself facing a requirement called probation. If you were recently charged with a crime, the first thing you should do is reach out to a defense attorney in Fort Collins for help. We can walk you through the ins and outs of your case and help you build a defense. If you have been put on probation, you may be wondering what this means for you. Perhaps you have even been charged with being in violation of your probation and now you aren’t sure what is next. Read on to learn more about what probation is and what probation violation could mean for you.
PROBATION ORDERED BY THE COURT
Probation is something that will be ordered to you by the court. If you have been found guilty of committing a crime, you may be put on probation as part of your sentence. Probation can go one of two ways, either involving jail time or freeing you from jail time, as is explained below.
- You serve jail time as part of your sentence, but you are required to remain on probation after completing the set amount of jail time. Although you had to serve time in jail, the time in jail may have been lessened due to including probation as part of your sentence.
- You do not have to serve any jail time and probation is the alternative instead. In this case, if you finish your probation without violation, you can avoid jail time entirely.
As you can see from above, probation is a way of allowing someone to stay within their community after committing a crime but requires that the person is under the supervision of a probation officer. Probation can be an excellent method for finishing out a sentence without completely uprooting your life. However, probation will not always be an option. The court will determine if the offense you committed is eligible for probation.
REQUIREMENTS UNDER PROBATION
The requirements of your probation program will depend largely upon the charges you are facing. Some of the following may be part of your probation requirements.
- Attending counseling or rehab
- Paying fines
- Reporting to a probation officer on a set schedule
- Community service hours
- Restrictions on the consumption of alcohol
- Random drug or alcohol testing
- Restrictions on the purchase or use of weapons
- The requirement to remain in the local area
WHAT HAPPENS IF I VIOLATE MY PROBATION?
If you were convicted of a crime and put on probation, but now you have violated your probation, you need to take this situation seriously. A probation violation can lead to jail time and other severe penalties. The best course of action you can take if you have violated probation is to reach out to our team. You need a defense attorney on your side, as you will be required to appear before a judge again.
Feel free to call our team to learn more about how we can help you. We have years of experience handling probation violations, and our goal will be to build you the best possible defense. Call today for assistance.
