Sean O’Halloran
What are there Consequences for a Violation of Probation?
Basically in Florida when a defendant is sentenced to Probation they are given a chance to stay out of jail or prison if they accept and follow the terms and conditions of Probation. By accepting the terms of Probation, a defendant is making an agreement with the Court to stay out of trouble, follow the rules and manage their own affairs without violating the law. Most of the time the conditions are simple. They have to report once a month, pay a supervision fee, not get arrested and keep their probation officer advised of their current address or comply with other special conditions.
As simple as this sounds, many people unfortunately fail to comply
Violations of probation can happen very easily, and if your probation officer has any reasonable grounds to believe that you have violated the terms of your probation he or she will apply to the Court for a probation violation warrant. This will result in your arrest and many times being held in jail without bond.
Probation Violations can include but are not limited to:
Failure to attend required drug or alcohol treatment programs or appointments
Failure to pay fines or fees or Court costs as required in terms of your probation
Not reporting to your probation officer on a correct date or time
Failure to report a changed address during a probationary period
Possession of a firearm
Positive drug or alcohol tests, commonly called a dirty urine
Being arrested for a new offense.
You may have a defense to a probation violation
In order for a Court to find you in violation, the conduct must be willful and substantial. There may be a good reason for not paying your fees or costs. You may be not guilty of the new crime violation. The probation officer may have made a mistake or overlooked one of your reports
If you feel that you may have violated your drug offender probation, sex offender probation, or any type of probation, please call today for a free confidential consultation 239 332 2280. Aiken O’Halloran and Banyai is a criminal defense firm with offices in Ft. Myers, Sarasota and Punta Gorda.
Visit our Probation Violations site: http://www.floridaprobationviolations.com