Probation and Community Service

Probation is the alternative to a jail sentence which would have been handed out by the jury or judge upon a guilty verdict after trial.

Probation comes with a lot of strings attached.  A typical probated sentence would include:

• X days in jail probated for Y months
• X fine with Y amount probated, maybe
• X hours of community service...a requirement to pick up trash on the side of the road, or time volunteering at the hospital, Camp Tyler, or, whatever.
• attend a DWI education class, at your cost
• don't drink any alcohol and don't go where it's served, which knocks out most restaurants, except Luby's, Traditions, McDonalds, etc.!
• attend an alcohol education class or Alcoholic's Anonymous twice or thrice a week
• report to a probation officer once a month and pay a $70 fee each time
• take a urinalisys test each time, or upon request
• don't associate with disreputable folks, (a good thing)
• maybe lose your driver's license
• maybe require a breath machine in your car
• maybe need to get an Occupational Driver's License to get to work
• unlike other offenses, DWI probation cannot be 'early terminated'!

IS PROBATION REALLY A GOOD ALTERNATIVE?