What to do if you have a violation of probation or community control warrant.

Once you have discovered you have a warrant, contact a criminal defense attorney immediately. The earlier you can retain the attorney, the earlier your matter will be resolved. Some people decide to stop reporting to their probation or community control officer once they discover that they have a warrant. This is the absolute worst thing a person can do, as most times, it just makes the situation worse, causing you to accumulate another violation and increasing the likelihood that you will have to serve jail or prison time.

Most judges do not set a bond when they sign warrants for violations of probation or community control. Unlike substantive offenses, defendants are not constitutionally entitled to a bond. If a person stops reporting once they discover they have a warrant, the likelihood of obtaining a bond goes down also. This again illustrates why you should retain an attorney to assist you as soon as you discover you have a warrant.

Once you hire an attorney to represent you, they can either file a motion for bond or get you into court sooner to resolve the matter. One advantage of having a private attorney in place to assist you is that the attorney knows about your case from the beginning and can immediately act to get you into court. 

There are advantages to hiring an attorney to represent you once you find out you have a warrant. First, you may be able to get your daily affairs in order before you go to jail.  Also, in some instances, the sooner you hire an attorney to address the alleged violation, the more likely it is that you can be reinstated to probation.  Next, having an attorney retained to represent you ensures that you already have someone in place to help you if you are arrested before the scheduled court hearing.   Finally,  hiring an attorney may avoid your being embarrassed and humiliated by being arrested on your job or somewhere else unexpectedly. The circumstances of each individual case varies, therefore, you should consult an attorney to discuss the specifics of your particular case.