Need your opinions on leaving/probation...rant..

[Everymanalion]

Now let me state this, before i get bombarded with "DO WHATEVER YOU WANT" OR "IT COMES DOWN TO YOU, ONLY YOU CAN MAKE THIS CHOICE" that this is just about OPINIONS on what YOU would do, not looking for to be told what to do, just curious about how you guys would go about this...

Now here is my situation, i am on probation in Philadelphia for possession of a criminal instrument with intent(Misdemeanor 1) and simple assault(Misdemeanor 3, plus $2000 in court fees). I got 18 months probation which is nothing at all, my first offense as well, i have finished 13 months of it already and it is up in December...now here is where my question is, what would YOU do with this situation...

I am beyond restless, i have forced myself to stay in the area for the past 13 months by tooth and nail and now the final straw, i am being kicked out of my current residence and have scowered and cannot find a place to stay for the next 5 months nor do i have the funds. Now here are my options.

1. I can either sell ALL of my world possessions to pay off my court fines, be homeless for the next 5 months(Including fall and the onset of cold Philadelphia weather) and finish this up yet have NO money to travel on in central america when i go down there, all for a misdemeanor.

2. (My favorite personal option) Sell all my things and just TRAVEL within the US, but i have asked this question before on this board and got mixed answers about if my name got ran in another state for a probation violation(whether it be skipping town or not paying my court fines) if they would extradite over a mis. and not a felony and all i got was "OMG D00D ST0P BEING A P00SAY" well to those people, sorry i have no interest in running into the police nor defying them as i like my "freedom".

3. Same as number 3(And which i will be doing after probation anyways)BUT heading down into Central America/Mexico to live and stay instead of the US, i have no plans to come back, ever, only contact with the U.S. i will have is renewing my passport through the local embassy.

Now here is my dillema, if i never plan/want to come back anyways you would think option 3 would be the most viable but what if in 5-10 years i change my mind and i must come back for a family emergency or something, i have to assume(and no i will not be going back to PA/Philadelphia) that someone with two misdemeanors is NOT a priority? Maybe i am wrong? I am not asking what I SHOULD DO, but i am asking what would YOU do? With an endless amount of wanderlust, no place to live anymore, a decent amount of cash to travel on(Well, decent to eat once daily) yet you have to be a "fugitive"... i would NOT ever be returning to Philadelphia, only the west coast/mid west.

Has anyone ever heard of anyone being let off probation early for a sob story? Maybe a family member dying in another state(which is true)? Any opinions help, but again, I am just curious what you guys would do, the general opinion of rebels(Which is another thing, i feel if i stay/pay my fines and do what i am "supposed" to do, i am buying into their system which i do not agree with, another moral conundrum). Thanks for reading my rants, and i am sure "Micchhaeelllllllllll" will be replying shortly but i want to hear the rest of your opinions as well, thanks.

 

[daveycrockett]

when i dont know the answer to something or are at a crossroads and am having trouble i would imagine doing the right thing. would they be able to give you a jail sentence in leiu of you not finishing your probation and maybe a few extra days for the fines,if you only have 18 month probation the time in shouldnt be that long. go in and get a cheap storage unit for a month or two, when you get out youre done just whatever you did dont do it again...in my opinion,telling the probation officer the truth and the courts might help if you get someone who is a decent person and sees you in the same light,,most of the court system is a business though so treat it so...brooklyn,, couple months in rikers or on the streets for a few till you get back up..one or the other...in time running will catch up with you and good luck leaving the country legally with warrants,it might happen. "lookin back i should have done (this)"

 

[Everymanalion]

I can actually leave the country/obtain a passport with misdemeanor warrants i have already looked into that. I have another PO meeting in 2 weeks and was thinking about giving asking her if i pay off all the fines at once that day if there is anyway for me to get off early, i know its probably not likely at all and its the Judges decision but who knows, seeing as its my first offense and i have been "good" on probation for the past 13 months they might be lenient?

 

[Ekstasis]

Well, if you bounce with 5 months left it means the last 13 months is for nothing in my opinion. $2000 in court fees sucks. Can you or would you sit it out in jail to pay your fees? I realize I am disregarding what you said about wanting to make a statement against the system.

Have you ever been to Mexico or the countries you are wanting to travel to not a few weeks or months but long-term? You didn't say why you were in Philly. Any family there?

I would suck the last 5 months up, get a job and hopefully make more money than it costs you to live and pay your fees. Learn a trade of some sort you can use to make $ on the road in your free time.

Are you taking all the worldly possessions you mentioned on the road? If not sell them since you don't plan on coming back.

If you got a job in the end hopefully you'll have more to travel on. Then be free. It would be easier to homebum it in a familiar place and not have to worry about it. Traveling you are going to eventually run into cops. They will be more lenient on you if you don't have stuff hanging over your head. They aren't going to extradite for it but you might get held up for a few days/weeks instead of let you off with a warning.

Have you tried craigslist for renting a room? Surely there is some little place in Philly.

 

[Everymanalion]

Yea i have attempted the craigslist/friend thing, i have lived in philadelphia for the past 6 years and used all my options just to stay afloat these past 13 months, i know staying is the right thing to do and i am just making excuses to not stay but still, it is very difficult especially when you are hit, then kicked when you are on the ground but eh such is life,

and yes i will be selling everything i have once i goto central america/mex and yes i have been there/backpacked central/south america about 3-4 times previously so the "experience" of it all is not really the issue, just the damn legal issue up here, makes no sense at all "Oh, you are poor and cant pay your fines? Here, let me stack on more fines because of that", yea that makes real sense, i love our economy of constant debt.

 

[landpirate]

I don't know how it works in the USA ( I live in the UK) but over here probation often help you find accommodation so that you are able to fulfil your probation requirements. I know they are the enemy, but have you tried speaking to them to see if there i anything they can do to help?

I guess this leads me to my opinion on skipping out the last 5 months. Personally, however hard it sucks, I would finish. As Ekstasis said earlier, if you leave early that's 13 months you've wasted. I, would be much happier if I knew I was fully free and not looking over my shoulder the whole time. If you finish your probation you can then go off and do anything you want without worrying about the answers to a lot of your questions as they'll be irrelevant.

from my own personal experience the law/courts never forget and always seem to catch up with you. usually it is 10 times worse than the original sentence/fine would have been. Also, they we tend to live our lives means we are in contact with the police so often, it can be really hard to keep your head down.

I hope whatever decision you make that it is the right one for you. enjoy mexico!

 

[Everymanalion]

Thank you for the input, and no, in Philadelphia if you do not have a place to stay and tell my PO i am homeless(that i have done before) they put you in jail to serve out ALL your time on probation because you can not sustain yourself.

 

[ElectroGypsy]

It all boils down to how paranoid you are, do you want to look over your shoulder? And for how long could you do that?
It is not unknown for probation to be transferred to other states. Is there anyone you could stay with for the last 5 months elsewhere? I ask this because I had a roommate who was doing probation for a felony in CA, and moved to NC, got his probation transferred, and it all worked out. Perhaps you could do the same?

 

[Psyop]

I think you need to finish it out. You have all ready done 13 months I think you would regret skipping out later. Talk to them tell them whats up. You dont have much to loose they might cut you a break.

 

[Everymanalion]

But here is the thing, i have no plans nor want to come back to the US. I know people say that but trust me, 90 percent sure i wont be coming back, and i am only getting older...