What to Know If You Are Facing a Probation Violation
Under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, probation — known as “community supervision” according to the law — is a program and/or set of sanctions that a person can be required to comply with as a way of having criminal proceedings against them deferred or as part of a sentence for a criminal conviction. Community supervision means, expressly, “the placement of a defendant by a court under a continuum of programs and sanctions, with conditions imposed by the court for a specified period.” In order to comply with the terms of your community supervision, you will be given a set of conditions that you must adhere to, and you may also be required to complete certain courses or hours of community service.
When a person does not comply with the terms associated with the programs and sanctions that they were placed under, they can be accused of a probation violation, or a violation of the terms of their community supervision. What do you need to know if you are facing allegations of a violation? Consider the following information.
Terms of Your Probation Will Be Specific to Your Case
To remain in compliance with your probation or community supervision, you need to know that their terms — the programs and sanctions — will be specific to your case. To be clear, not all defendants must enter into or comply with the same programs and sanctions. Rather, yours will be based on the criminal conduct for which you are now under community supervision, as well as your previous record and history.
Generally speaking, however, most individuals are required to meet with a supervision officer regularly, and many individuals will be placed under electronic monitoring. If you were placed under community supervision for a drug or alcohol-related offense, your terms may include regular drug and alcohol testing. Or, if your probation arose out of a drug and alcohol offense, or several other types of criminal offenses, you may be required to complete a certain number of hours of community service.
You Must Comply with All Probation Conditions
You must comply with all of the terms — of the programs and sanctions required of your specific community supervision. If you do not, and if you fail to complete even one requirement, you can face a probation violation.
You Should Have a Lawyer to Defend Against Probation Violation Allegations
It is important to have a lawyer who can help you to defend against the allegations of a probation violation you are facing in order to build the strongest possible defense. If you are convicted, your probation could be revoked and at worst you could be incarcerated. Additional sanctions may also be added to the terms of your probation.
Many Defense Options Exist, and You Will Need to Tailor Your Defense to the Facts of Your Case
There are many possible defense options concerning a probation violation, but it will be critical to tailor your defense to the facts of your case and the specific allegations you are facing. A lawyer can assist you with this.
Contact Our Texas Probation Violation Defense Lawyers for Assistance
If you have been accused of violating the terms of probation or “community supervision,” you could ultimately be facing time in jail if you are not able to build a successful defense. In order to avoid the consequence of a probation violation, it is critical to seek legal help with your defense. One of the experienced Texas probation violation defense lawyers at John Reed, Attorney at Law can discuss the details of your case with you today, and we can help you to defend against any allegations of a probation violation. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist you.
Source:
statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/CR/pdf/CR.42A.pdf
