When convicted of a crime there are times that the court will give the defendant probation as part of their sentence rather than jail time. Probation is generally seen as a second chance and it comes with regulations that have to be followed. The regulations could be anywhere from keeping a job throughout probation or having to complete a certain number of community service hours. There are usually orders to keep in contact with a probation officer. Oftentimes a person on probation will not be allowed to leave the state and cannot consume drugs or alcohol. There are many ways to violate a probation order such as forgetting to call your probation officer when you were supposed to. The most common types of probation violations include:
- Being arrested
- Failing to report to your probation officer
- Using drugs
- Consuming alcohol
- Not showing up to community service
- Failing to maintain employment
- Failing to pay restitution
- Failing to pay fines
- Moving residences and not reporting the change of address
- Switching jobs and not reporting the change of employment
If there is a warrant out for your arrest for any of these actions contact a Reading criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Violating probation orders hold severe consequences, the judge could order that you finish your sentence in jail because of one mistake. The penalties for violating your probation can vary according to the extent of the noncompliance. Missing community service for one day will most likely not result in months in jail; however, committing a crime or abusing drugs while on probation oftentimes leads to a significant modification of the probation order or time in jail.
Looking for a lawyer for your probation violation case in Reading, PA? If you are at risk for being arrested while on probation you could be facing severe penalties. Seek aggressive legal representation by calling a Reading criminal defense attorney who can help you defend against the probation violation.