The governor just signed a new bill that amends the Code of Criminal Procedure, effective April 1, 2021.
Among many other changes, the law now allows for people who are on probation for a variety of crimes, including felonies and misdemeanors, to be discharged from probation much earlier than they would have been, so long as they have:
- Completed half of their probation period,
- Completed the non-financial services (like drug treatment, counseling, etc.), and
- Made a good faith effort to pay off restitution and court fines assuming they have the means to do so.
The most exciting part of this change is that once the term of probation has been 50% completed, the probation department may initiate the request for discharge, the Judge may initiate the discharge, or even YOU can initiate the request for a discharge, assuming you haven’t violated probation in the preceding three months. That’s where you are best served with an attorney, to draft the important documents and represent you at a hearing if the hearing is required.
Some offenses are disqualified from this benefit – and further some offenses require that the victim be notified and be allowed to address the court regarding the potential discharge. Give me a call today to discuss your case and whether we can help with your probation issue, expungement need, or any other criminal matter!
Recent Comments