Probation Drug Testing Questions

A friend of mine recently went to court - in Maryland - concerning a DUI and paraphernalia charge. He received 9 months of probation requiring him to attend MADD, a shock and trauma panel meeting, 12 hours of community service, and several AA meetings. Under the conditions it mentions abstaining from drug use. He met with his PO for the first time today who went through the charges and told him, despite not being told so by the judge or the court report, that he would be drug tested so "[he] should give up the habit". Aren't they required to tell him when they will test him? We think that the PO is just telling him to quit as a scare tactic to ensure that he does, not because there is any real danger of a drug test. Lending more to this perception is the absence of any extra money (that typically accompanies drug testing) as well as $0.00 next to drug testing sum of money he owes on the official court dockett. I guess what I am asking is: does the PO have the authority to randomly decide to drug test regardless of the judge's sentence?Thanks a bunch, I am trying to keep his head level with some good information.

I forgot to mention that his PO merely told him to meet him again in a month, giving him no other reason to suspect this meeting of being anything less than innocuous.

[Admiral]

Check with court on this. Normally they have to inform you that you will be tested and you will pay a fine. This most likely is a scare tactic, but I would refraim from using because if he gets into any other trouble this will cause alot more pain and hurt him real bad on future punishment..

if your on probation you have basically no rights and they can do what ever they want and if he fails the test he goes to jail for violation of probation which means he will do his origianl sentence he would have got instead of probation and what ever other charge they slap him with

I just got off probation today. I was put on for possession of marijuana, paraphernalia and possession of non narcotic prescription meds. I was put on for 6 months and never got drug tested once. Why, I have no idea maybe my PO liked me? I mean I was put on for drug charges but never got tested.. strange.

I am a probation officer in Maryland--if the court did not order drug testing then we can't do it. We have a judge that orders drug and alcohol treatment with the understanding that we DO test people (in writing from the court). Check your probation order--they judge may not have ordered testing.

I had a DUI and it had a no alcohol consumption and no drugs clause attached. Now the warning the probation officer gave you will most likely out of fear keep you from using for the first part of probation alone. I have been on probation for 11 months and knowing the consequenses of violating is enough. They can also call you at any time to go and get tested.

I had a good relationship with my PO which is VERY important and will make your life much eisier. I was never asked to get tested until my last appointment and it seemed that it was simply because it was asked by the court.

Simple answer, it all depends on your PO. They can do what they want when they want. and the owed ammount on my papers for drug tests were $0.00 also until the day of the test in which it was $75.00. If you don't have the money that day thats fine, they will still make you take the test and pay on your next appointment.