Tag Archives: PETITION TO LIFT DETAINER

WTF will happen to me now?

 

Q: I missed a probation appointment and haven’t contacted my probation officer. She called and said to contact her today or she is putting a warrant out for me! (Pittsburgh, PA)

A: Hmmmmm. That is a tough one. The choice is to call your PO and not go to jail, or ignore her and have a warrant issued, which will land you in jail at some unsuspecting future time. If it is not too late already, call your PO and apologize and think of a damn good excuse for not calling her back. If you call and she says, tough, I already requested a warrant, you have two options. You can turn yourself in and expect to sit awhile in the Allegheny Iron Hilton. Or, you can hire an attorney to prepare a petition to lift detainer which puts a good spin on your screw-up and walk you into the probation judge’s court room. It may or may not keep you out of jail, there is no guarantee.

What can I do about a corrupt probation officer?

Q: My son was accused of theft and was sent to jail two weeks ago. His hearing was today. All charges dropped but when his attorney called his probation officer she told him that it could be days before he was released. She said he had to file a petition. The attorney said he never heard of that. My only had four days left on probation. This PO tried to have him put in jail 10 months ago when my son was on a ventilator fighting for his life. She said we were lying about it. He has complied with everything. (Elizabeth Twp., PA

A: No one likes their probation officer, and they are not always pleasant to those on probation nor the family of their subjects. If you have an attorney, have him or her file a petition to lift the detainer with the judge. The judge can release him forthwith, or schedule a hearing sooner than it will take if the PO schedules the violation hearing.