Sometimes violating your probation can bring consequences worse than the original offense that led to the probation. In Florida, if you violate a term or condition of your probation, you can expect to sit in jail for weeks waiting for the judge to hear your probation violation case.
Types of Probation Violations
There are two types of probation violations: “technical” and “new-law.” A technical violation is one where you disobey a general or specific condition, such as failing to pay restitution, court costs or fines, or failing to pass a court-ordered drug test. A new-law violation is the commission of a new offense, such as driving with a suspended license. Both types of violations can result in a lengthy wait in jail before the judge resolves your probation violation case.
Your Probation Officer is Out to Get You
The mission of your probation officer (PO) is to find the smallest slip-up in order to send you to jail and remove you from his or her list of responsibilities. After your PO alleges that you have violated your probation, the judge will issue a warrant for your arrest. Probation violation arrest warrants generally don’t come with a release on bond provision. Therefore, unless you retain a criminal defense attorney to help you, you may find yourself behind bars for a long time waiting for a court date.
Your Tampa Probation Violation Lawyer Can Help
Don’t wait to contact an attorney until after you are arrested. If you think you have done something to violate your probation, call your lawyer immediately. Unlike your PO, your lawyer’s mission is to keep you out of or minimize your time in jail.
To that end, he can immediately file an emergency motion that will allow you and your lawyer to go to court quickly and ask the judge to continue your probation or terminate it altogether based on defenses or mitigating circumstances that negate the violation.
In the alternative, you can ask the court to set a reasonable bond. Either way, you can avoid jail time, loss of income and the embarrassment of a second mug shot of you floating around on the Web if you call your Tampa criminal defense attorney right away.