Atlanta Probation Violation Attorney

Have you been accused of violating your probation?

If you believe your probation officer is going to accuse you of violating your felony or misdemeanor probation, you need to contact an experienced Atlanta Probation Violation Lawyer to assist you. E. Jones & Associates, LLC is ready to defend you during a violation of probation case filed in the Metro Atlanta area. Contact us today to discuss your case with an attorney over the phone or in the office. During the initial consultation you can discuss with an attorney all of the things you may need to do right now to protect yourself against the allegation.

Giving you the Second Chance You Deserve

"Probation" means a form of community supervision requiring specified contacts with parole and probation officers and other terms and conditions. Probation is issued instead of jail time, or is ordered to follow jail time. In a nutshell, probation is a time to demonstrate to the court that you are working hard to stay out of trouble.

A violation of probation occurs if you fail to meet the terms of your probation, as dictated by the court. There are generally two ways to violate your probation: 1) you are charged with a new crime, or 2) you are given a "Technical Violation." The new charge can be as simple as Notice to Appear for a simple misdemeanor (such as an open container), or can involve an unrelated new charge and arrest. A "Technical Violation" is issued when you have not met the terms of your probation: you missed a meeting with your probation officer, you failed to pay a scheduled fine, moved without permission, failed a drug test, or failed to complete any other conditions set by the court.

Once your probation officer has accused you of violating probation, he will file an affidavit with the court that states the reason for your probation violation. The court then issues an arrest warrant and sends it to the Sheriff's Office, usually within days. Depending on the seriousness of the underlying charge the Deputies may seek to arrest you right away, or when their workload permits.

Once a warrant is sent to law enforcement, you will be arrested when you come into contact with a law enforcement officer or they can come to your home or place of business with the warrant and arrest you. Or you can self arrest; you can turn yourself in. A self arrest is generally the best way to do it, as you can do it more or less on your schedule. When you have an attorney working as your advocate, you can greatly minimize the time between your self-arrest and the bond hearing.

Your attorney can contact your probation officer on your behalf and request additional time to allow you to come into compliance with the terms of your probation. In other cases, your Atlanta criminal defense attorney can file a "motion for surrender" which allows you to turn yourself in on the Georgia warrant in the courtroom where the judge can set a reasonable bond in the case, dismiss the allegation or release you on your own recognizance (ROR), which may allow you to avoid going into custody altogether. Finally, an attorney can arrange for you to turn yourself in on the violation of probation warrant at the jail, and then represent you at your first appearance hearing which can take place within a few hours of the time you surrender yourself to the jail. Additionally, your Atlanta criminal defense attorney can schedule an emergency bond hearing to give you the best chance at having your case resolved quickly if you are not released after your first appearance.

If you are taken into custody on a Florida violation of probation warrant, a criminal defense attorney can immediately file an emergency motion for bond on your behalf. Usually you can be back in front of the judge in a matter of days instead of weeks. Even if the court is not inclined to grant bond, the court may be inclined to resolve the case that day by simply reinstating the probation, thereby giving you another chance to successfully complete the probation. Contact an Atlanta Probation Violation Attorney to discuss your case today.

To learn more about these services or for any general inquiries, please contact us at (404) 525-3080.