If you enter a plea or are found guilty of DUI, you will be placed on DUI probation. Probation in a DUI case is mandatory; and term of probation is usually 12 months. The purpose of placing a person on probation is to allow for supervision. It is the job of the probation officer to make sure that you follow through on everything that you have been ordered by the court to do.
Hillsborough County misdemeanor probation is supervised by the Salvation Army. For cases resolved in downtown Tampa, the Salvation Army building is located 1603 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa, approximately 10 blocks north of the courthouse. For cases resolved in Plant City, the probation office is located at 802 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., Plant City.
It is important to report to the probation office within 48 hours of being placed on probation. There, a probation officer will be assigned to you, and will explain your conditions of probation and instruct you on the terms you need to complete.
At a minimum, you will be ordered to attend and complete DUI school, pay fines and court costs, attend a victim impact panel, and complete community service. The court may also impose extra conditions such as alcohol and drug testing, impoundment of your vehicle, and more. It is important that you complete everything ordered by the court.
After the initial meeting, you will meet with a probation officer once a month. During this meeting, bring proof that you are completing everything that the judge ordered you to do. If you have questions, the probation officer will explain and assist you with understanding how to comply with the court’s orders. The probation officer can also recommend outlets for community service and can provide information about DUI school. They can also assist you by collecting fees for the court.
Each month you are on probation, you will owe a monthly fee to the probation office. This fee is in addition to any fees or costs you owe to the court.
If you complete everything the court orders you to do, you can apply for “early termination,” a term used when someone finishes all their court ordered duties before the probation period is up. If you are granted early termination, your case is over and you will no longer have to report to probation. If you do not apply for early termination, your probation will end after the time ordered by the judge.
If you do not complete everything the court ordered you to do in the time allowed by the court, the probation officer will file an “Affidavit of Violation of Probation,” telling the court how you defied the court’s order. There are many other ways to violate probation: Getting arrested again, not reporting to your probation officer, or changing your address without notifying the court. If drug and alcohol testing was a condition of your probation, you can violate if you fail the drug test.
When a judge receives an affidavit stating that you violated probation, they will issue a warrant for your arrest. This warrant creates a new charge called a “Violation of Probation” or “VOP”. You will be arrested and taken to jail. If there is a bond on the warrant you may bond out. However, it is important to know that you are not entitled to a bond for a violation of probation. It is possible that you will sit in jail until your hearing.
At the hearing, the judge will determine whether or not you violated any of the ordered conditions. There are three possible outcomes for this hearing: (1) The court may find that there is no violation and dismiss the warrant; (2) The court may re-instate your probation and allow you to finish or give you new terms; or (3) The court determines you did violate the conditions of your probation and you can be sentenced to jail.
It is recommended that you have an attorney represent you at any violation of probation hearing. Call us today – 1-888-781-9696.
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