UNDERSTANDING PROBATION AND WHAT YOUR ATTORNEY CAN DO FOR YOU
When you receive a probation offer, you'll clearly be relieved. It's important that you listen to all the details of your probation and discuss the best course of action with your attorney.
Probation means that someone is placed under community supervision by a court. If you’re involved in a criminal case, it’s helpful to understand what different types of probation can mean, and how your attorney can help you achieve the best possible results.
Deferred probation means the court has determined that evidence substantiates guilt, but a finding of guilt is “deferred,” or put off. This allows someone to meet the probation standards given by the court and avoid a criminal conviction. If probation is successfully completed, the individual is not convicted. And after a waiting period, that person can petition the court to have records of the arrest, charge, and probation removed from public disclosure. This can make a big difference in a person’s future college applications, employment possibilities, and other significant life opportunities.
Straight, or basic, probation means you have been convicted of the criminal charge and placed under community supervision. An important aspect of straight probation is that the judgment must specify a person’s “exposure” if she does not meet the terms of probation. Exposure refers to the range of prison time a person can face if probation is violated.
Let’s say that the person is being placed on probation for a second-degree felony, and the punishment range is 2-20 years in prison. The judgment in a straight probation …
caps exposure for a designated amount of time (between 2-10 years) and
specifies how long the probation will last.
An attorney can negotiate both of these important aspects of a straight probation judgment. For example, with a 2-20 punishment range, your attorney could negotiate for 5 years of probation as well as an exposure limit of 5 years. So if a violation occurred during the 5 years of probation, the most prison time the client would be facing, or exposed to, is 5 years because of the negotiated cap. In a deferred probation, the full range of punishment cannot be capped; therefore, the only negotiation is the length of probation.
If you or a loved one is facing a criminal charge, your attorney should explain your options to your satisfaction, prioritize your needs, and tailor negotiations to your specific requests. Often, the details of a probation judgment become very important down the road.
To Summarize:
Probation – When a court places someone under community supervision
Deferred probation – When evidence substantiates guilt, but a finding of guilt is “deferred,” or put off
Pros – Conviction can be avoided if probation is not violated, and you could later apply for non-disclosure.
Con – If probation is violated, you face a full range of punishment.
What’s negotiable prior to judgment
length of probation time
Straight (basic) probation – When conviction has occurred, and the court has ordered community supervision
Pro – Punishment range could be negotiated in case there’s a violation.
Con – There’s no opportunity for avoiding conviction or applying for non-disclosure.
What’s negotiable prior to judgment
length of probation time
exposure (the range of prison time faced if probation is violated)