WILL YOU GET COMMUNITY SUPERVISION?

Are you facing criminal charges in Dallas or Fort Worth? If so, you have a lot on your mind. Will you win or lose? Will you be sentenced to jail or prison? Is there any way you can avoid incarceration if you are convicted?

If you are convicted, any of the following could occur depending on the nature of your charges, your criminal record, and the skill of your criminal defense attorney:

• You could go to jail.
• You could go to prison.
• You could get community supervision instead of jail or prison.
• You could be sentenced to prison, but be released early and placed on parole.

Surely, you’re familiar with the terms “probation” and “parole,” but in Texas, adult probation is referred to as “community supervision.” It means an offender is supervised in the community instead of going to jail or prison. Parole on the other hand, means an offender was sentenced to prison, but he or she was let out early (usually for good behavior) so they could carry out the rest of their sentence while being supervised in the community.

Violating Terms of Community Supervision

If you violate a term of your community supervision in Texas, it’s the same thing as violating a term of probation in another state. So, if you are placed on community supervision and you fail to stick to one or more of the conditions, the following can occur: 1) you can be arrested, 2) additional conditions can be imposed, or 3) your community supervision can be revoked and the court can make you finish your sentence behind bars.

Common conditions of community supervision:

• Do not contact any victims.
• Stay away from drugs and alcohol.
• Do not commit any new crimes.
• Pay victim restitution.
• Perform community service.
• Support your dependents.
• Remain gainfully employed.
• Report to your supervision officer as required.
• Stay within a certain geographical boundary.
• Do not leave the country.
• Submit to random drug and alcohol tests.
• Receive drug or alcohol treatment.
• Receive counseling.

Not everyone qualifies for community supervision. It is reserved for non-violent offenders who do not pose a threat to the community. If you are facing charges for a violent crime or a sexually-motivated offense, it may not be an option to you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still beat your charges with the help of a good attorney.

Learn more about the Community Supervision and Corrections Department in Tarrant County by clicking here. For criminal defense representation in Fort Worth, contact my firm to get started.