Penalties for Probation Violation in Tennessee

Use these links to jump to different sections:

• What Constitutes Violation of Probation?
• Proving a Probation Violation in Court

Although probation is considered by some people to be a “get out jail free” card, in reality, it is a serious sanction and parole or probation violation. 

When a Tennessee court sentences a defendant for a probation violation, that person is required to strictly comply with a number of conditions of parole.

Any failure to comply with the conditions of your probation may serve as grounds for parole revocation to send the defendant to serve jail time for the remainder of their sentence.

What Constitutes Violation of Probation?

At sentencing, a judge will inform the defendant of any conditions of probation or parole. Every case is different, but in general Tennessee, courts may require any or all of the following:

• The defendant must meet their “family responsibilities”
• The defendant must obtain employment or pursue a course of vocational training
• The defendant may not possess any firearms or other “dangerous” weapons or face new criminal charges
• The defendant must meet all scheduled appointments with his or her parole officer
• The defendant must remain within a particular geographic area—e.g., not leave the county—unless granted permission by their parole officer or the court
• If the defendant has a substance abuse problem, he or she must successfully undergo counseling and treatment—as well as submit to regular drug and alcohol tests
• The defendant must perform community service
• The defendant must pay any court costs or fines arising from the original sentence
• The defendant must refrain from committing any additional criminal offenses

Tennessee probation officers have wide discretion when deciding how to handle a defendant’s violation of any terms or conditions of release. For minor infractions, such as being late for an appointment, the probation officer may simply issue a warning. For more serious violations, however, the defendant will likely have to appear before a judge to explain his or her actions.

Proving a Probation Violation in Court

When the court is notified of an alleged probation violation, a judge will issue an arrest warrant for the defendant.

The defendant must then appear at a preliminary probation violation hearing, where prosecutors will present evidence of the alleged violation. Just as in a normal trial, the defendant has the right to legal advice and assistance from a qualified Tennessee criminal defense lawyer, and to present evidence in his or her own defense.

There is one critical difference between a revocation hearing and a criminal trial. In the latter, the prosecution must prove a defendant’s guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.” But when it comes to an alleged probation violation, the prosecution need only prove its case by a “preponderance of the evidence,” which is a lower standard of proof commonly used in civil trials.

Even with this reduced standard, there must still be some credible evidence of a parole violation. And not all parole violations warrant sending a defendant to jail. For example, Tennessee courts have held that a defendant’s financial inability to pay criminal fines or court costs is not grounds for revoking probation.

A judge may also take a defendant’s explanation for any parole or probation violations into account when deciding whether jail is the most appropriate sanction. As an alternative, the judge may decide to simply modify and extend the defendant’s probation for up to two more years.

For more information on this area of law, see our overview of criminal defense or seek the advice of an experienced criminal defense attorney.