Saturday, November 3, 2007

Ending Probation // Modifying Probation

As an experienced criminal defense attorney specializing in problems of probation, I have been called upon hundreds of times to either terminate, convert or modify conditions of probation for my clients in Florida, New York and throughout the country.

Often these clients had no idea of their options, or when they could exercise them. Often they suffered needlessly for years while they and their families were hassled, humiliated and abused by the system or by offensive and controlling probation officers. They were subject to the constant threat, real or imagined, of unwelcome home or work visits, drug tests and possible violations of probation, and many had to endure much time in jail while those violations were worked out by me or resolved in Court through my representation.

Often these violations and the stress of their imposition could have been avoided. Probation by its nature is difficult to succeed at, and Community Control (house arrest) is almost impossible to succeed at and live a normal and productive life. We have a service, called ProbationCounseling.com, directed by former probation officers, that offers group seminars for those recently placed on probation and one-on-one orientations for those needing personalized attention during their supervision, in order to orient them to the demands and pitfalls of the system. Hopefully, this service will help avoid problems, including violations during supervision, make the process as smooth and painless as possible, and thereby set-up the scenario where my law office, (ProbationAlternatives.com), and my associated attorneys throughout Florida, can terminate their probation or community control early. In the meantime, we also help clients modify their probation or community control conditions to make their life more bearable and productive.

In Florida and many other states, terminating probation or converting community control to regular probation can occur 'at any time', and contrary to most common thinking, does not have to occur only until you are half-way through your sentence period. Also, contrary to common thinking, early termination can be granted even when you have more than one violation of probation in your supervision history. Even if early termination is not yet an option, there are alternatives available to make probation easier and less problematic until termination does become available. These include expansion of travel restrictions, so out-of-town work can be accomplished, extention of curfew so work hours can be made more flexible, and changes of residency restrictions, so that family and work-life can be better accommodated. Other modifications are available depending on a clients partcular situation and needs.

Often, the process of ending probation is and/or changing restrictive conditions is just a click or a phone call away. The information is available just for the asking, at least at my office.

Thanks

http://www.probationalternatives.com

3 comments:

jennydillon said...

aah...you must be one of thos liberal hippy lawyers. if people somehow find themselves on probation they probably deserve to be punished, not coddled.

Administrator said...

Thats wat alot of non-lawyers think. But the truth is that many people on probation are actually innocent of the crimes they pled out to, but pled out because it was cheaper than to pay an attorney or stay for alonger time in jail awaiting their case to be resolved.

Anonymous said...

You're an idiot Jenny. That's and extremely ignorant thing to say. I highly doubt you have the education or the perspective to be qualified to make such a general and condemning statement. Grow up.