HOW TO GET OFF PROBATION EARLY

Did you know in most cases you could terminate your probation early? If your judge puts you on probation chances are pretty good you don't have to stay on that probation the whole time.

I will explain how to get off probation early and the types of probation cases that are eligible for early termination. So why stay on probation for five years when you can get off in two or three. Regardless of the length of time the court puts you on probation you can probably get off early and it has the same effect as if you had finished your entire period of probation successfully. Only you don't you cut it in half or a third or even less so so there is no reason not to try and get off your probation early If you're eligible.

Offenses that are eligible to get off probation early

Now the types of cases where you can get off early generally include everything except sex abuse cases, sexual assault, child abuse cases, and intoxication offenses like DWI intoxication. assault intoxication. manslaughter those kinds of cases.  But just about everything else is eligible for early termination. Robbery and Drug cases Theft you name it if you're on regular probation though you may have to complete at least one third of your probation period before you can ask for early termination. However if you're on deferred adjudication type probation you can get off early at any time if the judge agrees to it. There is no minimum time you have to serve for deferred adjudication type probation before the judge can terminate it early and it has the same effect as if you stayed on probation the whole time and finish it successfully. Only you don't so there is no reason not to try and get off probation early if you're eligible.

What is required to get off probation early?

In order to get your probation terminated early you have to finish all your hours of community service you have to pay all your fees up to date.  And by paying fees up to date I mean the court fees have to be paid monthly up to date. But they don't have to be paid in full. They just have to be paid up to the date they ask for early termination. The last thing you want to do is ask for early termination of your probation and then find out you still owe them some money. You also have to complete any classes or courses the courts require you to take as a condition of your probation. And then the final and most important thing is you cannot have any violations on your probation. In other words you don't have any no shows with your probation officer, no positive drug test or things like that. And especially you have haven't committed any new law violations when you ask to get off your probation early. 

How do I request probation termination?

You need to file a written motion asking the court to terminate your probation early. Now the first thing the court will do is ask for your file from the probation officer. Being on good terms with your PO can be a big help when you ask for early termination of your probation. Because if your judge hears from your probation officer that you're doing really well and your probation officer recommends early termination it's very likely your request is going to be granted by that judge. Getting off probation early is a blessing and a big big relief. It will also save you lots of time and a ton of money. You can get your probation terminated months or even years before the original date set by the court. If you get a chance to early terminate your probation you need to do it.  Why stay on probation the full amount of time when you really don't need to.

I hope this information was helpful

Fedora lawyer signing off

Author: Andrew Williams

I am a criminal defense lawyer with over 30 years experience defending people accused of wrongdoing. I am board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Only ten percent of attorneys in Texas are board certified in their respective field. I practice criminal law exclusively in both state and federal court including appeals of criminal cases.