This is a sponsored guest post. Everyone makes mistakes that they regret. But for those who have committed a crime, those mistakes can end up following them for the rest of their life. If you are convicted of criminal charges, they can forever dictate what you can do for work, where you can live, and sometimes they cause you to lose years of your life behind bars. The “first offender” program gives people who made a mistake the chance to make it right without having to deal with a lifetime of regret. First offender programs are a way that the courts grant someone who is a first-time offender a reduced sentence – or even the chance to have their records cleared so that the charge doesn’t affect them for the future. It’s typically only offered to those who do not have a criminal background, and it’s kind of like a “do-over.” The defendant is usually offered the chance to complete a specific type of “program” in exchange for the charges being reduced or done away with altogether. Get help from a DUI lawyer & drunk driving defense in Los Angeles.
State First Offender Programs The programs that might be available for first-time offenders vary from one state to the next. Some states limit first offender programs only to those who commit misdemeanor offenses, while others might grant them to more serious offenses like felony charges. They are usually only given to people who are convicted of “nonviolent” crimes, and many have special programs that apply only to juveniles who are facing criminal convictions. The program itself is not only offered to those who fit into specific classifications, but it is also offered to anyone who is facing a DUI charge for the first time across the board; some states will let someone convicted of DUI complete an alcohol treatment program to avoid having that DUI conviction on their record. The same is true for domestic violence. Some states will offer the defendant the chance to take anger management or domestic violence programs in exchange for having their convictions thrown out. Learn how to make your probation officer happy in this blog by The Ladan Law Firm.
Federal First Offender Programs Defendants who are convicted of federal crimes might be eligible for some first offender programs under the Federal First Offender Act, 18 USCS 3607. To be granted the first offender program at the federal level, you must not have any federal or state convictions on your criminal history related to controlled substances. A defendant is only offered and allowed to participate in a federal first offender program one time. It is a one-shot deal. If you want to enter into a federal first offender program, then you have to plead guilty in a court of law, or a judge must find you guilty, and it must be on the record. After a year of probation, if the defendant has not had any other offenses and has complied with successfully completing the program, then the court will dismiss the conviction. But if the defendant in any way fails to do all that is required then the conviction will stand, and the defendant will suffer the consequences of having a criminal record. If you are granted the program and are under the age of 21, then if you successfully complete it without any other convictions by the age of 21, then your criminal history and conviction will be completely sealed or expunged from your records. That means it will be as if the conviction never happened and can’t be used against you in the future should you commit another crime. If you successfully stay out of trouble until you are 21, you can honestly answer that you have never been convicted of a crime.
If you are a first-time felon, then it is imperative to hire a criminal attorney who can determine whether you are entitled to complete a first-time offender program to reduce the consequences of being found guilty. If you successfully complete the program, it might just be your second chance. There are many things that you can do in life that you end up regretting.
