Section 948.001(3), F.S., defines “community control” as a form of intensive, supervised custody in the community, including surveillance on weekends and holidays, administered by officers with restricted caseloads.
Community control is an individualized program in which the freedom of an offender is restricted within the community, home, or noninstitutional residential placement. The Department of Corrections will assign a probation officer to anyone sentenced to community control to supervise the probationer and alert the court of any violation.
Attorney for “Violations of Community Control” in Palm Beach County, FL
Florida Statute Section 948.06(1), authorities any law enforcement officer to arrest, without warrant, a person in community control who has violated community control in any material respect and return him to the court that granted the community control. Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130(a) requires a first appearance within 24 hours of arrest.
It is important to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney for any community control violation in Palm Beach County, FL, as soon as possible after you learn that the probation officer will tell the court that you violated community control. We can help you at every stage of the case either before or after a warrant is issued for your arrest.
The attorneys for community control violations represent people in Palm Beach County, including West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Royal Palm Beach, Jupiter, Belle Glade, Palm Beach Gardens, Greenacres, Juno Beach and Wellington. The attorneys also represent clients on community control in Broward and Miami-Dade County.
Call (561) 557-8686 today.
What are the Consequences of Being Put on Community Control?
Any person who is found guilty by a jury or the court sitting without a jury, or who enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, may be placed on probation regardless of whether adjudication is withheld. Section 948.06, F.S., provides procedures regarding a violation of the terms and conditions imposed on a person who is on probation or community control.
After an alleged violation of the terms of community control, the probationer is arrested and brought before the sentencing court. At the first hearing on the violation, the probationer is advised of the charge. If the probationer admits the charge, the court may do any of the following:
- dismiss the allegation;
- immediately revoke community control;
- immediately modify the terms of the community control; or
- immediately continue the probation on the community control program.
Rolling Community Control into Regular Felony Probation
For many individuals on community control, the best course of action is filing a motion to terminate the community control portion of the probation and roll the remaining time into regular probation. It is particularly important to seek the termination of community control once you have completed all terms and conditions and/or at the half way point.
Section 948.001(5), F.S., defines “probation” as a form of community supervision requiring specified contacts with parole and probation officers and other terms and conditions as provided in s. 948.03, F.S. Probation is less restrictive and harder to violate.
Additional Resources
Violation of Community Control in Palm Beach County – Visit the website of the Florida Department of Corrections (“DOC”) to learn more about the West Palm Beach Circuit Office. With offices in West Palm Beach, Belle Glade, and Boynton Beach, probation officers with DOC supervise offenders in the community who have been placed on community control by the court. As of June 30, 2015, the office had 5,921 offenders under supervision including many individuals sentenced to community control.
Finding an Attorney for Community Control Violations in West Palm Beach, FL
If your probation officer accused you of violating community control or violating probation in West Palm Beach, FL, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Meltzer & Bell, P.A.. Whether your violation is a technical violation or a substantive violation for a new arrest, we can represent you at every stage of the case from the first appearance throughout the final hearing.
Our attorneys represent clients throughout Palm Beach County, including West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Royal Palm Beach, Jupiter, Belle Glade, Palm Beach Gardens, Greenacres, Juno Beach and Wellington. We also represent clients accused of violating community control in Broward and Miami-Dade County.
This article was last updated on Friday, November 10, 2016.
