Probation Violation Attorneys

BARRERA DEFENSE - Fighting Probation Violations

A probation violation can turn a second chance into the exact outcome you avoided the first time — jail or prison. Whether you were placed on regular probation or deferred adjudication, a single missed step, or even a misunderstanding, can put your freedom back on the table.

Barrera Defense represents people accused of violating probation in Floresville/La Vernia, Wilson County, Atascosa County, Karnes County, and San Antonio / Bexar County. Our firm focuses solely on criminal defense, and we understand how quickly a violation can escalate if it isn’t handled correctly and immediately.

We understand that people fall behind on probation for reasons that have nothing to do with being a danger to anyone — a missed payment, a failed drug test, a scheduling conflict with a job. Barrera Defense reviews every detail of your case and works to keep a fixable problem from becoming a permanent one.

We Understand the Severity of Your Situation

A call from your probation officer, or worse, a warrant, can turn your world upside down overnight. You may be wondering whether you’re about to lose your job, be separated from your kids, or go to jail over something that felt minor at the time.

At Barrera Defense, we understand how overwhelming a probation violation can feel — especially because these cases move fast. A revocation or adjudication hearing is often held within thirty to sixty days of the motion being filed, far faster than a new criminal case moving toward trial. Our firm takes the time to explain exactly what you’re facing and prepares your defense with the urgency that timeline demands.

Regular Probation vs. Deferred Adjudication

Texas allows two forms of court-ordered community supervision, and what happens if you violate each one is very different.

Regular Probation (Suspended Sentence)

On regular probation, you have already been convicted and sentenced to a specific term of incarceration — the sentence is simply suspended while you complete community supervision. If you violate, the judge cannot exceed that original sentence. For example, if the judge sentences you to five years in the Texas Department of Corrections (prison), but places you on eight years of probation, on a violation the most you could receive would be the five year underlying sentence. Because you are only eligible for probation on a sentence of ten years or less, the most incarceration anyone could ever face on a violation is ten years if that was their underlying sentence.

Deferred Adjudication

Deferred adjudication works differently. You enter a plea of guilty or no contest, but the judge holds off on finding you guilty and instead places you on community supervision. Successfully complete it, and the case is dismissed — with no conviction, and in many cases, eligibility to have your record sealed. But if you violate deferred adjudication, there is no original sentence capping your exposure. You face the full range of punishment for the underlying charge. For example, a defendant on deferred adjudication can receive up to 99 years for a first-degree felony, or up to 20 years for a second-degree felony on a violation. Deferred adjudication is an all-or-nothing proposition: either you complete it and the case disappears, or a violation can expose you to far more than regular probation ever could.