Opinion ID: 1545952
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Violation Date Controls

Text: Moody's argument would have merit if Moody's original eighteen-month probation from February 2006 had run without incident. The facts of this case demonstrate, however, that Moody violated that original eighteen-month probation period. Moody was charged with new felonies in Delaware only two months after his probation began. He then evaded authorities for over two years after the VOP report was filed in Superior Court. Moody's evasive conduct and failure to report to probation officers is the reason the hearing for violating his original probation of February 2006 did not occur until October 2008. More than forty years ago, this Court held evasion from arrest until after expiration of the probation period may not become the controlling factor [4] in deciding whether a court has jurisdiction to hold a VOP hearing. Though Moody's VOP hearing on the original probation violation did not occur until October 2008, this Court has held that the date of the violation is the controlling factor in a challenge to a VOP hearing conducted after the expiration of an offender's probationary period. [5]