Helping Someone Help Himself

February 9, 2010 11:05 AM

A friend of mine accidentally violated his probation and then decided to flee his home state rather than go to prison. He is essentially a fugitive. What resources are available to him in New York City?

He has moved to NYC without a phone and with hardly any money; right now he has a place to stay (not with me) and is desperately looking for work, but it's not easy because most of his work experience is in tech support, and he can't pass a background check to work anywhere reputable.

I want him to seek legal aid so that he at least knows the parameters of his problem, but he's not in a position to be able to pay anyone right now. I'm afraid if he doesn't get a realistic idea of what the stakes actually are, he will be overwhelmed with paranoia, anxiety and depression.

Any other advice or resources would be most welcome. This is a good, kind young person who hasn't hurt anyone and whom I pray can salvage what's left of his life.

Throwaway email: [e-mail]

posted by anonymous to Law & Government (4 answers total)

Many lawyers will talk to clients for free to give them a sense of the scope of a problem and possible solutions. He should make some calls now.
posted by zippy at 11:08 AM on February 9, 2010

I'll tell you right now what his stakes are. Going to jail and staying there for a long time.

Violating probation is no joke and he needs to speak with his lawyer and his parole officer today, right now, before anyone realizes he's fled the state.

You know who knows about resources in NYC? Lawyers. He should speak with one rather than having you troll for free legal advice on the web. If he's in NYC then he can call 311. They can hook him up with legal aid.

Really, though, he should go back to the state that he's serving probation in and speak with a lawyer there. There's no way he's going to be able to fix the situation he's in by remaining a fugitive.

A lawyer is probably going to tell him the same thing.

This isn't legal advice and I'm definitely not your lawyer or your friend's lawyer.

You should be very very careful helping your friend as you don't want to get caught between the wheels of justice.
posted by ged at 11:17 AM on February 9, 2010

I think zippy is right, although I'm not a lawyer. I also think that while I don't know anything about your friend's situation, I would think he is very likely to be anxious and worry as long as this is hanging over his head, which could be for the rest of his life if he doesn't deal with it. I'm not necessarily saying he should turn himself in, but I think as his friend you should encourage him to consider all of the consequences of this, emotional and psychological as well as legal.

Whatever he decides, best of luck to both of you.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:19 AM on February 9, 2010

If he hasn't been gone long, and his only violation is that he did not show up for an appointment or two they may be willing to cut him some slack. He needs to talk to his lawyer or a lawyer in the city and state in which he was on probation. Prisons are full. People who violate probation very seriously, like they commit new crimes, are the ones most likely to go to prison.
posted by mareli at 11:23 AM on February 9, 2010