{"id":392,"date":"2018-04-15T19:44:11","date_gmt":"2018-04-15T19:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/?page_id=392"},"modified":"2025-02-04T16:09:56","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T16:09:56","slug":"probation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/probation\/","title":{"rendered":"Probation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/probation-image.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1227 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/probation-image.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"284\" height=\"177\" \/><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT IS PROBATION?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Judges have a number of different tools at their disposal when sentencing convicted offenders in Maryland. One of the most common sentencing options a judge may use is to impose a\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" title=\"Probation \" href=\"https:\/\/criminal.findlaw.com\/criminal-procedure\/probation.html\">period of probation<\/a>\u00a0on a convicted offender.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Probation is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court instead of serving time in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">When a person receives probation, the judge is basically saying that if strict conditions which are set by the judge are met and followed the person may remain in the community under supervision and avoid the jail time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">During that supervision, the person must adhere to the strict conditions imposed by the judge.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT ARE SOME CONDITIONS THAT MAY BE IMPOSED BY THE JUDGE DURING PROBATION?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Some common <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">conditions<\/span> for probation include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Regular meetings with the probation officer<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Community Service<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Education and work commitments<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">No alcohol consumption<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">No firearms or other weapons possession<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Fines and financial restitution<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">No contact with specific individuals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">No changing address without permission of the probation officer<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Maryland&#8217;s statutory limit for probation is five (5) years, but judges have broad discretion when imposing probation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT HAPPENS IF I VIOLATE THE RULES OF MY PROBATION?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">There are two kinds of violations of probation.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">One is to violate the specific conditions of the probation that the judge set out for you during sentencing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The second is a &#8220;technical&#8221; violation of probation.\u00a0 Technical violations are for things such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> showing up late for meetings with your probation officer,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">texting or leaving a voicemail rather than physically showing up for your meetings<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">avoiding community service requirements<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT HAPPENS AT A VIOLATION OF PROBATION HEARING?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A violation of probation hearing is held to determine whether or not a parole violation occurred.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Maryland law states that the same judge who presided over the sentencing should preside over the hearing, when practical.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">This hearing differs from a criminal hearing.\u00a0 It is conducted as a civil proceeding and the decisions will be made by a judge, not a jury.\u00a0 Instead of using the &#8220;beyond a reasonable doubt&#8221; standard, it will be judged on &#8220;preponderance of evidence&#8221; standard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">At the hearing, the defendant will either agree or deny that they have violated probation.\u00a0 If you deny, a full hearing is conducted and state&#8217;s witnesses will be heard &#8211; usually the probation officer or other witnesses &#8211; to give evidence to the court of the violation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If the judge decides that a violation has occurred, the hearing goes to sentencing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT TYPE OF SENTENCING CAN BE IMPOSED ON A VIOLATOR OF PROBATION?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you are found guilty of violating probation for conditions of your probation, you may receive up to your maximum previously suspended sentence.\u00a0 This will be at the discretion of the judge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> Previously, technical violations fell in the same category as violations of the conditions of your probation and might land you in jail to complete your sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Technical violations are now governed by a statute that almost always must be followed by state judges. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Any defendant charged with a technical violation faces a maximum sentence of<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> 15 days for a first offense<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">30 for a second offense<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">45 for a third<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> and the full suspended time after that.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A judge still has the discretion to sentence differently if there is a danger to public safety,\u00a0 victim or a witness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Technical violations include things such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">testing positive for drugs or alcohol<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">missing <b>ONE<\/b>\u00a0appointment &#8211; AVOIDING SUPERVISION IS A\u00a0 VIOLATION OF YOUR CONDITIONS<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">showing up late to an appointment<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">not completing treatment, community service or anger management<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">failing to pay restitution, fines and court costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>If you are charged with violating your probation, you may need the help of an attorney.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WHAT IS PROBATION? Judges have a number of different tools at their disposal when sentencing convicted offenders in Maryland. One of the most common sentencing options a judge may use is to impose a\u00a0period of probation\u00a0on a convicted offender. Probation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/probation\/\" class=\"read-more\">Read More &#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/392"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=392"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1470,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/392\/revisions\/1470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}