Legal Question in Criminal Law in Tennessee

Last week on the 10th I was taken to jail for petty theft of 17 dollars at my local Kroger. I forgot that I had somethings in the child set that I sat my purse down on. I had a Barbie rung up and was in such a tunnel vision on getting my 4 year old home to eat and take a nap totally for for about the stuff under my purse. Was stopped before I could even pick up my purse to realize. I was taken to jail and bonded immediately . I'm currently on probation for paraphernalia in another county. Should I wait for them to issue the violation. When can I expect this violation? I plan on pleading not guilt for a possible trial for this was not my intentions. No prior record in this county nor prior record of theft ever. What can I expect?


Asked on 4/16/12, 10:22 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Charles Bloodworth

You are under a duty to report the new arrest to your probation officer immediately. If he/she first hears about it from you, there is less of a chance that he/she will swear out a violation of probation warrant. But if he/she discovers that you have been arrested and you didn't tell him/her about it, it is certain that a violation of probation warrant will follow. And the failure to report the new arrest makes you look dishonest.

Even if the probation officer swears out a warrant on the basis of your report to him/her that you have been newly arrested, your honesty might result in the warrant being issued as a "no bond required" / citation; or a very low bail bond since you would have come forward with the information. In fact, when you report the new arrest to your probation officer, it can't hurt to specifically ask "Do you have to make out a violation of probation warrrant?" and if the answer is "yes," ask your probaion officer: "Please ask the judge for a low bond or a citation" when you swear out the warrant in front of him.

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Answered on 4/23/12, 7:41 am


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