It’s a privilege for you to be sentenced to probation instead of time in prison. This is why your Gaithersburg judge was likely careful to let you know about your rights and responsibilities when going over your sentence with you. If you violate the terms of your release, then you could be brought up on probation violation charges and sent back to jail.
There are many different types of actions that you may take that can be considered as violating the terms of your release. An important one is if you fail to appear at your probation officer’s office at the place or time that they tell you to. If you don’t show up for a court hearing as you’ve been scheduled to, then you might put yourself at risk of being held in contempt of court. Your probation may be revoked in response to this.
Most individuals who are placed on probation are restricted as to where they can travel, places that they can go or the people that they’re able to interact with. If a Maryland defendant violates those terms of their release, then they too can have their probation revoked.
You may put yourself at risk of having your probation terminated if you’re found to be in possession of illegal drugs or you’ve used or sold them. It could also be revoked if you were accused of any other criminal activity or you stopped paying any fines or restitution that you’ve previously been ordered to pay.
While you have certain restrictions placed on your movements and behaviors while you’re on probation, it’s still much better than being locked up in a tiny jail cell. An attorney can review the terms of your release and help you make sense of them so that you don’t end up behind bars once again.