Deferred Prosecution – It’s About Money

What is Deferred Prosecution?

Beginning in June of 2017, the Tulsa County DA began offering Deferred Prosecutions.  This is a contractual arrangement to not file charges on you even though you have been arrested. Simply put, if you will sign up for voluntary supervision, pay all of your fines and fees upfront, then they won’t even file charges against you.  Sounds like a dream come true, right?  Maybe not, keep reading.

Who is eligible?

This contractual arrangement is only available to people who have a clean record and no criminal history.  As you have read above, all the fines and fees must be paid in advance, so this will seriously limit the people that can take advantage of this program.

How much will it cost?

The supervision fee will be $240.  On top of that, you will have a fee of between $200 and $400 for each charge you were booked in on.  So, as an example, if you were arrested on Possession of Marijuana, No Driver’s License, and No Insurance; you would be looking at a total of  $1065.00 total up front before you can take advantage of this program.

What does the supervision look like?

Tulsa COURTS will supervise you, which is the same group that supervises people for Drug Court.  It will be for a minimum of 6 months, but could be 2 years.  You may have to do a Drug and Alcohol Assessment, Random Urinalysis Drug Testing, Restitution, Mental Health Evaluation, Community Service Hours, Stay Away Orders, GPS, or SCRAM Alcohol Monitoring.  Oh yeah, that is all at your cost.  Also, they can also come visit your home or place of employment.

What happens if I fail?

Even if you only have supervision for 6 months, if you run into trouble anytime within 2 years, you will not only have to deal with those charges, but the DA will file these old charges on you too.  They can also file the charges on you for any form of non-compliance.

Seems like a decent deal, what is the catch?

Your biggest concern is that you are waiving several of your Constitutional Rights!  First, you will have to sign an agreement that says that the State of Oklahoma has sufficient evidence to achieve a conviction.  Next you are waiving your rights to speedy prosecution and a speedy trial.  Also, you will be waiving the Statute of Limitations.  Finally, you will be waiving your rights to counsel.

Is there anything else I should know?

Yes.  You are also waiving your ability to challenge the lawfulness of your arrest.  You are also waiving your ability to challenge the search of your vehicle, home or person.

What should I do?

You have a right not to be singled out.  You have a right not to be harassed because of who you are or what neighborhood you come from.  You also have a right to your privacy.  Hire a qualified attorney that is not afraid to fight for your rights.  If the DA was going to give you the Deferred Prosecution then they most likely will still offer you Deferred Probation, which is practically the same thing without waiving all of your rights.

Why is the DA offering this?

It is about the money.  This method of handling cases will shift money from the Court Fund to the DA Fund.  This isn’t about helping you, but instead a way of funding the DA’s Office.

Understanding Deferred Probation

If you are charged with a crime, there will be one of four results when you go to court.  Dismissal is the best of all results because your charges have been dropped and you are free.  Jail or Prison time is obviously the worst result because it means you will be incarcerated for some period of time.  In between these two extremes are two forms of probation: Suspended Sentence and Deferred Sentence.  Let’s focus today on these two forms of probation.

If it is your first offense, your attorney may be able to get you deferred sentencing and probation instead of jail time.  This alternative sentencing solution is the best possible outcome other than an outright dismissal.  A deferred sentence allows you to have your court record sealed after successfully completing all of the court-ordered probation.  This means having all of your fines and DA supervision paid, as well as, completing any special orders like Drug and Alcohol Assessment, DUI School, or Batters Intervention Program, and obviously, you must not break any federal, state, municipal, or tribal laws.

Having your record expunged is a tremendous advantage since a criminal record can limit your job and licensure opportunities.  So how does this work?  It starts with you pleading guilty to the criminal charge.  However, instead of accepting the plea and rendering judgment, the judge delays judgment and sentencing, giving the defendant an opportunity to complete probation instead.

For example, a first DUI offender may plead guilty to DUI, but instead of convicting the defendant and ordering him or her to jail, the judge would defer sentencing and order the defendant to drug and alcohol treatment, community service, participating in a victim’s impact panel, and similar terms of probation.

If you were to violate probation or commit other crimes, the prosecutor will likely file a Motion to Accelerate sentencing. The judge may then accept the guilty plea and order you to serve a jail or prison sentence.  If the you successfully completes your probation, the court records are updated. Your guilty plea is changed to reflect a plea of “not guilty,” and the case is dismissed. There is no criminal conviction, and through expungement, your name is stricken from court records.

A suspended sentence is different from a deferred sentence. While both types of sentencing allow you to serve probation in lieu of all or part of the jail or prison sentence, a suspended sentence results in criminal conviction, which will stay on your record.  It isn’t jail or prison, but a suspended sentence pales in comparison to the benefits of a deferred sentence.