After a criminal case, you may find yourself sentenced to probation. It’s crucial that you follow your probation terms in order to stay in good standing with the law. Violating your terms even slightly could result in serious consequences – even jail time. Just because you have a criminal defense lawyer doesn’t mean that they can work magic. A violation is a violation, and there’s no guarantee that they can get you out of it.
It’s critical that you understand how your probation works. Make sure to avoid doing the following things while on probation.
Don’t Miss Court Appearances
If you’re expected to appear in court, you should appear without fail. Regardless of why you may not be able to go, you should rearrange your schedule.
The judge will not be impressed with your absence, and you may even get jail time as a result of missing your court date. Failure to appear is a direct violation of your probation.
Don’t Use Drugs Or Alcohol
It’s a good idea to be on your best behavior during your probation period. Even if the judge didn’t specifically order you to stop consuming alcohol, it’s a good idea to avoid it. If you were ordered to stop consuming alcohol and you test positive, you’ll be in violation of your probation.
Always attend your scheduled alcohol tests. Failing to appear is equally as serious as failing to appear in court.
Don’t Travel Out Of State Without Permission
While you’re on probation, you’ll need to ask permission to do any traveling outside of your state. In order to leave the state, you’ll need to be granted permission first, as well as be given a document in writing that you are permitted to do so.
Don’t Surround Yourself With Illegal Activity
It’s imperative that you stay away from any sort of questionable characters or behavior. Even though you may not be the one committing a crime, you’ll still be held guilty by association in terms of your probation.
Don’t Violate Your Curfew
If you’ve been ordered a curfew by the courts, you’ll need to respect it. Violating any conditions of your probation no matter how small they may seem isn’t taken lightly in court.
Don’t assume that your probation officer will be lenient with you. If you want to clear your name, you’ll need to be on your best possible behavior at all times.
Don’t Miss Any Court Ordered Counseling Sessions, Community Service Etc.
When you’ve been given court-ordered counseling sessions or community service work, you shouldn’t miss it under any circumstances. The court ordered this as part of the conditions of your probation for a reason, so respect the rules or you risk violating them.