Parole Revocation Considerations
Parole Revocation Considerations:
Many Clients have come to me after they have had their parole revoked by the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. They have failed to take into account key considerations when deciding whether to plea to new charges, whether to hire an attorney for the parole revocation on prior charges, etc. This can negatively impact the person who is facing this nightmare in many ways. One of the biggest issues I have seen is people who get revoked and set for a new parole hearing in one or two years. They think they will automatically be released at that time since their offense they were revoked on was not serious. This is not the case and they need to prepare for spending more time in prison than the amount of time they thought they would spend.
Hiring the Right Attorney:
Other people fail to hire an attorney at all, or, they hire one without experience in revocations. This option can be equally damaging to the client and I have seen it lead to some serious consequences that would not otherwise have affected the person – if they had been properly informed to make the correct decisions about their case.
Some people (criminal attorneys) do not take into account the impact a plea to a new charge will have on the revocation. Yes, a person who is on parole for manslaughter, for example, and is revoked for marijuana possession, can end up spending several years in prison on that original manslaughter charge. Therefore, it does not matter that the same person only ended up receiving a year for the guilty plea to the marijuana possession. This does happen. It is real. This is why it is important to have an attorney who has a working knowledge of the parole revocation aspect and the criminal law aspect to adequately let the person know so they can take the appropriate considerations into account.
