2022 Georgia Code
Title 42 - Penal Institutions
Chapter 8 - Probation
Article 2 - State-Wide Probation System
§ 42-8-38. Arrest or Graduated Sanctions for Probationers Violating Terms; Hearing; Disposition of Charge; Procedure When Probation Revoked in County Other Than That of Conviction

Universal Citation: GA Code § 42-8-38 (2022)
  1. Whenever, within the period of probation, an officer believes that a probationer under his or her supervision has violated the terms of probation in a material respect, if graduated sanctions have been made a condition of probation by the court, the officer may impose graduated sanctions as set forth in Code Section 42-8-23 to address the specific conduct leading to such violation or, if the circumstances warrant, may arrest the probationer without warrant, wherever found, and return the probationer to the court granting the probation or, if under supervision in a county or judicial circuit other than that of conviction, to a court of equivalent original criminal jurisdiction within the county wherein the probationer resides for purposes of supervision. Any officer authorized by law to issue warrants may issue a warrant for the arrest of the probationer upon the affidavit of one having knowledge of the alleged violation, returnable forthwith before the court in which revocation proceedings are being brought.
  2. The court, upon the probationer being brought before it, may commit the probationer or release the probationer with or without bail to await further hearing, or it may dismiss the charge. If the charge is not dismissed at this time, the court shall give the probationer an opportunity to be heard fully at the earliest possible date on his or her own behalf, in person or by counsel, provided that, if the revocation proceeding is in a court other than the court of the original criminal conviction, the sentencing court shall be given ten days’ written notice prior to a hearing on the merits.
  3. After the hearing, the court may revoke, modify, or continue the probation. If the probation is revoked, the court may order the execution of the sentence originally imposed or of any portion thereof. In such event, the time that the defendant has served under probation shall be considered as time served and shall be deducted from and considered a part of the time he or she was originally sentenced to serve.
  4. In cases where the probation is revoked in a county other than the county of original conviction, the clerk of court in the county revoking probation may record the order of revocation in the minutes of the court, which recordation shall constitute sufficient permanent record of the proceedings in such court. The clerk shall send copies of the order revoking probation to DCS and the Department of Corrections to serve as a temporary commitment and shall send the original order revoking probation and all other papers pertaining thereto to the county of original conviction to be filed with the original records. The clerk of court of the county of original conviction shall then issue a formal commitment to the Department of Corrections.

History. Ga. L. 1956, p. 27, § 12; Ga. L. 1960, p. 857, § 1; Ga. L. 1966, p. 440, § 1; Ga. L. 2012, p. 899, § 7-11/HB 1176; Ga. L. 2015, p. 422, § 4-1/HB 310.

The 2012 amendment, effective July 1, 2012, in the first sentence of subsection (a), twice inserted “or her” near the beginning, substituted “respect, if graduated sanctions have been made a condition of probation by the court, the probation supervisor may impose graduated sanctions as set forth in Code Section 42-8-23 to address the specific conduct leading to such violation or, if the circumstances warrant, may” for “respect, he may”, and substituted “return the probationer” for “return him”. See Editor’s notes for applicability.

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, in subsection (a), in the first sentence, substituted “an officer” for “a probation supervisor” near the beginning, substituted “violated the terms of probation” for “violated his or her probation” near the middle, substituted “officer” for “probation supervisor” in the middle; in subsection (b), in the first sentence, substituted “the probationer” for “him” twice, and added a comma following “hearing”, inserted “or her” in the second sentence; inserted “or she” in the last sentence of subsection (c); and in subsection (d), in the first sentence, substituted “minutes of the court” for “judge’s minute docket” in the middle, and substituted “such court” for “that court” near the end, substituted “DCS and the Department of Corrections” for “the department” in the second sentence, and substituted “Department of Corrections” for “department” in the last sentence. See Editor’s notes for applicability.

Editor’s notes.

Ga. L. 2012, p. 899, § 9-1(a)/HB 1176, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2012, and shall apply to offenses which occur on or after that date. Any offense occurring before July 1, 2012, shall be governed by the statute in effect at the time of such offense and shall be considered a prior conviction for the purpose of imposing a sentence that provides for a different penalty for a subsequent conviction for the same type of offense, of whatever degree or level, pursuant to this Act.”

Ga. L. 2015, p. 422, § 6-1/HB 310, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “This Act shall become effective July 1, 2015, and shall apply to sentences entered on or after such date.”

Law reviews.

For article, “A Review of Georgia’s Probation Laws,” see 6 Ga. St. B.J. 255 (1970).

For comment criticizing Mercer v. Hopper, 233 Ga. 620 , 212 S.E.2d 799 (1975), see 27 Mercer L. Rev. 325 (1975).

For survey article on criminal law and procedure for the period from June 1, 2002 through May 31, 2003, see 55 Mercer L. Rev. 117 (2003).

For article on the 2012 amendment of this Code section, see 29 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 290 (2012).

For article on the 2015 amendment of this Code section, see 32 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 231 (2015).

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