Montana Code Annotated 1999

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     46-23-1012. Arrest when violations of probation alleged -- probation compliance plan -- probation violator prison diversion program. (1) At any time during probation or suspension of sentence, a court may issue a warrant for the arrest of the defendant for violation of any of the conditions of release or a notice to appear to answer to a charge of violation. The notice must be personally served upon the defendant. The warrant must authorize all officers named in the warrant to return the defendant to the custody of the court or to any suitable detention facility designated by the court.
     (2) Any probation and parole officer may arrest the defendant without a warrant or may deputize any other officer with power of arrest to do so by giving the officer oral authorization and within 12 hours delivering to the place of detention a written statement setting forth that the defendant has, in the judgment of the probation and parole officer, violated the conditions of the defendant's release. A written statement or oral authorization delivered with the defendant by the arresting officer to the official in charge of a county detention center or other place of detention is sufficient warrant for the detention of the defendant if the probation and parole officer delivers the written statement within 12 hours of the defendant's arrest. The probation and parole officer, after making an arrest, shall present to the detaining authorities a similar statement of the circumstances of violation.
     (3) Provisions regarding release on bail of a person charged with a crime are applicable to the defendants arrested under these provisions.
     (4) Any probation and parole officer may hold a defendant arrested under subsection (1) without bail for 72 hours. After the arrest of the defendant pursuant to this subsection, a hearings officer for the probation and parole bureau shall hold a hearing within 36 hours of the defendant's arrest. The hearings officer shall determine whether there is probable cause to believe that the defendant has violated a condition of probation and, if probable cause exists, notify the sentencing court and determine an appropriate plan to ensure the defendant's compliance with the conditions of probation. An appropriate plan may include:
     (a) holding the defendant for a period of time up to 30 days, with credit for any time served from the time of the arrest to the time of the hearing to determine probable cause;
     (b) a request to the court pursuant to 46-23-1011 to modify the defendant's terms or conditions of probation; or
     (c) a notification to the court with jurisdiction over the defendant pursuant to 46-23-1013.
     (5) The department shall adopt policies and procedures to implement a probation violator prison diversion program. If the department is able to sufficiently sanction a defendant with a term in a detention center as provided in subsection (4)(a) for a proven technical violation that could result in the revocation of a suspended or deferred sentence, the department may pay the expense of the detention center costs and pursue payment of costs by the defendant as provided in 7-32-2245. If the action plan developed for the defendant proceeds as provided in subsection (4)(b) or (4)(c), the expenses of the detention must be paid as provided in 7-32-2242.

     History: En. Sec. 11, Ch. 153, L. 1955; Sec. 94-9831, R.C.M. 1947; redes. 95-3213 by Sec. 29, Ch. 513, L. 1973; Sec. 95-3213, R.C.M. 1947; redes. 95-3305 by Sec. 15, Ch. 333, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 95-3305(part); amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 505, L. 1999.

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