Adoption 101: The Legal Fundamentals

3 Things To Know If You Just Received A Probation Sentence

13 October 2016

Brayden Miles

Getting convicted of a crime that results in having to serve a probation sentence can be a good ending to a case, if you had expected to get a worse punishment, but it is also something you must take very seriously. Probation is used as a punishment for many crimes, and it is used to serve several purposes. Here are three things you should understand about probation if the court recently ordered this for you.

The purpose of probation

Courts use probation for several reasons, and the first is as a punishment. Having to serve probation will limit what you can do, and it will hold you accountable for many things in your life. A second purpose of probation is to help rehabilitate a criminal. When you are on probation, you will have guidelines to follow, meetings to attend, and someone to hold you accountable for your actions.

You must follow guidelines

When a court orders you to serve a probation sentence, you will be instructed as to how long this will last. It may be as short as six months, or it could be for many years. This will depend on the severity of your crime and your criminal history. No matter how long your sentence is, you must follow certain things that may include the following guidelines:

• Visits to your probation officer – You must check in with the officer assigned to you as often as you are told. This might be weekly or monthly.
• Stay out of trouble – You must not get into any criminal trouble while on probation. If you do, there will be consequences.
• Sleep at home – You may also not be allowed to spend the night anywhere besides your own house if you are on probation. If you have to do this for any reason, you will need permission ahead of time.

There may be other requirements and guidelines too, and your probation officer will make sure you fully understand what these are so you can follow them.

There will be consequences for breaking the rules 

When you are given probation, it is almost like the court is giving you a second chance to prove yourself. If you cannot follow the basic rules required of probation, the court will not be as lenient on you. You could end up arrested for violating your probation, or you could end up being charged with the crimes you are on probation for. There are a number of things that can happen, but you can avoid all of these by following the rules you are given.

If you recently broke probation and have to go to court, you should make sure you hire a good criminal lawyer to help you with your case.

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