Los Angeles Probation Violation Lawyer

When someone is first sentenced to probation, it feels like a second chance. A chance with serious restrictions to be sure. But it’s a far cry from prison time and it's a chance to have one’s life in better shape when the sentence is up. Now, facing a probation revocation hearing, all of that is jeopardized. Probation violation in California comes with a lot of risk, but a good attorney can help work through it. 

A Los Angeles probation violation lawyer from this office will fight for you at your hearing. Call us today at (818) 918-5838 or contact us online.

The Rules Have Changed

A person’s constitutional rights are still in effect at a probation revocation hearing. But they will be applied in different ways. The biggest change is that you no longer have to be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Now, the burden of proof for the prosecution is the easier-to-prove more likely than not. 

Why the change? The reason is that the individual in question has already been convicted of a crime and with the beyond a reasonable doubt standard. Presuming that conviction came with a prison sentence, that’s already what “should” be being served, at least in the eyes of the legal system. The probation was essentially a break the system offered. 

Now, that doesn’t mean a court can whimsically revoke a probation that’s been granted. It still must be proven that probation is more likely than not. But the reduction from the roughly 95 percent certainty that goes with reasonable doubt down to the 50.1 percent certainty that comes with more likely than not…well, that’s a big change in the rules. 

What’s more, the prosecution can introduce evidence under rules that are more lenient than the original trial. The biggest example is hearsay. Let’s say that at trial, your ex-spouse’s best friend told someone you were guilty. Unless that friend was willing to testify to that directly in court, then the original comments are not admissible. It’s just hearsay. 

But now, at the probation revocation hearing this same friend of the ex-spouse says they saw you out at 2 AM when your probation-required curfew is 10 PM. Even if the friend won’t show up in court, the hearsay evidence is admissible. How seriously the court will take it will depend on the judge and the rest of the evidence, but the simple fact hearsay can be introduced is another factor working against the defendant. 

Possible Penalties for Probation Violation in California

The most serious consequence of probation violation is being sent to prison for the original crime. Furthermore, let’s say someone was convicted but got less than the maximum. Their probation sentence was five years, but the judge had the option under sentencing guidelines to go for 10 years. The full 10 years is now back on the table. 

Less severe options include extending the length of probation and additional conditions. For example, if evening curfew violations are the reason for the hearing, the judge may order additional community service as a means of requiring the defendant to be up early every morning. 

The rules may have changed, and the potential consequences are certainly serious. But there are viable strategies for a defense depending on the situation.