One of the sentences a judge may give someone who is convicted of a crime is probation. This can either be served after their jail sentence or instead of a jail sentence, depending on the severity of the crime and the decision the judge makes. When serving probation, the person must follow strict guidelines. Though these guidelines can differ case to case, they may include some of the following things:
* Curfew – A curfew dictates the time the person on probation needs to be home each night.
* Limitation on Leaving the Home – In some cases, a person may not be allowed to leave the home except to go to work or get groceries.
* Limitations on Leaving the City – Many people on probation are not allowed to leave the city to prevent them from not following through with their probation.
Random Drug Testing – For probation resulting from drug charges, the person may be subject to random drug testing to show they’re not on drugs while on probation.
* Must Pay Fines – There are fines that go along with the probation, and not paying these fines can result in a violation or an extension of the probation until they are paid.
When a person is scheduled to probation, if they are accused of not following these guidelines they need to contact a Probation Violation Attorney. Violations can result from any of these things, if applicable to the person on probation, but they also can result from being arrested while on probation. It’s extremely important that the person on probation follow all of the probation terms as well as stay out of other legal trouble to prevent a violation and the chance of going back to jail.
If you are on probation and are facing a charge for violating these terms or any others, you want to contact a Probation Violation Attorney, such as one from Legal Philly, before you go back to court. Your attorney will help you to have the violation dismissed or to at least stay out of jail and on probation. Facing a violation charge alone will most likely mean you end up in jail to finish out your sentence, so you want to make sure you have legal representation to avoid this.
