There are a number of jobs that require employees to travel. Some of these include being a flight attendant, a travel agent, an international aid worker, a foreign service officer, a consultant, an ESL teacher, an au pair, a tour guide, a tour bus driver, a ski instructor, an engineer, a scuba diving instructor, an athletic recruiter, a construction manager, a cruise line worker, an event coordinator, and so on.
But what if you are charged with a crime, convicted, and placed on probation? If your job requires you to travel, but your probation says you can’t travel, what do you do? Since a lot of people are required to travel for their job, this is both a common and valid concern.
What Are My Options?
Will you automatically be barred from traveling if you’re placed on probation in California? Not necessarily, but it depends on the circumstances of your criminal case. If you’re convicted of a misdemeanor and placed on informal probation, there should not be a restriction on your travel, but that’s not absolute.
If you go on informal probation, it is possible that the judge will restrict your travel, especially if you have ties to a foreign country, or he or she believes you may be a flight risk. However, if your travel is restricted, it doesn’t mean a skilled criminal defense attorney can’t obtain a modification that allows you to travel for work.
If you are convicted of a felony and you are placed on “formal probation,” it is highly likely that one of your probation terms will be a travel restriction; that’s typical with felony convictions. If you ask your probation officer to let you travel for your job and he or she denies your request, we can help you apply to the court to modify your probation.
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What we would do is request a court hearing where we’d challenge the PO’s denial of your request. Since your employment is responsible for your livelihood, it’s important to work with an East Bay criminal lawyer from our firm. With our representation, you’ll have the best chance of having the travel restriction lifted, providing it’s for work purposes.