Maryland PBJ Lawyers
Do You Know What Probation Before Judgment is? Find Out.
Probation Before Judgment, or PBJ as it’s known in the legal world, is a term that refers to those who are given probation before any criminal justice has been levied against them. In some cases, a judge may grant PBJ as opposed to the defendant pleading guilty.
As an experienced Maryland DUI attorney, Ross Albers has helped many Marylanders beat their charges, and many of them received PBJ. Let’s take some time today to discuss PBJ in depth.
Who’s Eligible for PBJ?
Probation before judgment is only eligible to those charged with a DUI or DWI. Additionally out of all of those charged, only first-time offenders are eligible for PBJ. One exception to this rule is those people whose previous offense was at least 10 years ago. You can increase your chances of receiving PBJ when you work with a professional Maryland DUI lawyer.
How Does PBJ Work
When a judge grants PBJ to a defendant, they are placing that person on probation, and just like anyone on probation, they must follow all of the rules or they risk violating probation. Once all requirements have been met (things like alcohol treatment, community service, etc.) they can be released from probation.
Why Go for Probation Before Judgment
The main benefit of PBJ is that it saves you from pleading guilty and having a DUI on your record for the rest of your life. However this only applies to your public record, so only law enforcement officials will still be able to see that you were on PBJ.
If you’ve been convicted of a DUI charge, then filling out future job applications could be quite difficult. With a PBJ you can truthfully check no when asked if you’ve ever been convicted of or plead guilty to a crime. A DUI conviction will also send your insurance rates through the roof. But with a PBJ your insurance company will never find out about it, as only law enforcement officials will have access to that information.
Contact an Experienced Maryland DUI/DWI Attorney
With all of the aforementioned problems resulting from being convicted of a DUI, you’ll want to avoid this charge at all costs. The best way to avoid your DUI charge is to work with a trusted DUI attorney in Maryland.
If you need assistance with your DUI/DWI charge, or if you have any questions, don’t wait any longer. Give us a call today, our team is standing by ready to help you in any way possible.