What Are the Conditions of a Probation?

You may view serving a probation sentence rather than a jail sentence as a sort of privilege. This is because, this alternative does not require that you sacrifice time away from society, especially from the people and things you appreciate the most. With this form of privilege comes a sense of responsibility. That is, you must understand that a New Jersey criminal judge may impose strict terms and conditions with their order for your probationary period. So please follow along to find out the typical conditions for a probation order and how one of the experienced New Jersey & Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. can help you comply with them at all times.

What are the typical conditions for a probation order?

You must understand that probation does not mean you have satisfied your criminal punishments and you are now free from having to pay any further obligations. Rather, the New Jersey criminal judge may still set certain terms and conditions you must follow during this time, which may be anywhere from one to five years. The typical terms and conditions read as follows:

• You must attend regularly scheduled meetings with your assigned probation officer.
• You must wear a monitoring device, to be monitored by your assigned probation officer.
• You must stay and remain within a specified geographic area within the state of New Jersey.
• You must submit to alcohol or drug counseling, if relevant to your previously committed crime.
• You must submit to anger management counseling, if relevant to your previously committed crime.
• You must stay away from certain groups of people, such as those who have previously committed crimes.
• You must not commit any additional crimes or get arrested during this time.
• You must not own or possess a firearm during this time.

What happens if I violate the terms of my probation order?

You may be very judicious and diligent in complying with the terms and conditions of your probation order. But even still, it is easy for one small misstep to jeopardize the headway you have made thus far. For example, you may be the passenger in a close family member’s or friend’s car, when they accidentally drive outside the parameter of the restricted geographic area you are required to stay within.

While this may be a sincere accident, your assigned probation officer may have zero tolerance for such. In turn, the officer may file a probation complaint with the New Jersey criminal judge who initially granted you this order. With this, the judge may send you a summons or issue you a warrant for your arrest. Ultimately, you may be ordered to serve the remainder of your sentence in a county jail; right back where you started.

Going about your criminal defense should not be done without the wise legal counsel of one of the experienced New Jersey & Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers. So please call to schedule your initial consultation with us at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. today.