A provider closing does not automatically complete the class or extend a court deadline. Save the closure notice and your attendance or payment records, then contact your lawyer and supervising probation officer promptly. Ask which replacement program the court or supervising agency will accept, and whether the order needs to be changed.
Preserve proof and identify what the order requires
Keep the signed sentencing order, referral or enrollment instructions, program name, closure notice, attendance and completion history, receipts, and any messages about deadlines. Write down when you learned of the closure and what the provider said about your records or remaining sessions. Ask the provider for a copy of your attendance and progress file while it remains available.
Read the exact condition before choosing another class. It may name a particular provider, program type, duration, or approval source. Requirements can differ among DUI school, treatment, batterer intervention, and other court-ordered programs. Check the approval authority named in your order or referral before choosing a substitute.
Ask before switching or missing a deadline
Tell the supervising officer in writing that the assigned provider closed, attach the notice if available, and ask what substitute will satisfy the condition. Send the same information to counsel. Keep copies of what you sent and any response. Do not assume that a new provider is approved just because its course appears similar, or stop trying to comply while a request is pending.
The court sets probation conditions, and California Penal Code section 1203.3 permits the court to modify them during probation through a process with notice and hearing requirements. (Penal Code § 1203.1; Penal Code § 1203.3) Whether the condition needs formal modification depends on its wording and the replacement proposed. The provider’s closure is important evidence, but it does not itself change the order.
For DUI-school issues, see the firm’s DUI probation information. For help addressing another court-ordered program, contact the Law Offices of David S. Chesley at (800) 755-5174.