What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Oregon.
Hi everyone.
I am a current Oregon resident trying to get advice for my cousin, who now lives out of state.
Over 10 years ago, my cousin was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance. She grew 4 plants and was charged with a felony. She was barely 19 years old when it happened and was sentenced to 2 or 3 years probation. Unfortunately, marijuana was the least of her troubles. She was also a multiple substance abuser and was addicted to meth, among other things. Given her age, inexperience, and irrational drug-hazed mind, she stupidly skipped town in fear.... which resulted, of course, in a bench warrant.
Over the next ten years she stayed living out of Oregon (moved to the mid-west), cleaned herself up and quit using illegal substances. She has had a clean record (except for a speeding ticket once) for the whole 10 years and will continue to have a clean record. She has found work full time.... and even worked at places that required random drug testing.... passing each time. She has even gone back to school, graduated with a Bachelors degree with a high GPA, and is even considering continuing her education.
My cousin called me up some time ago and expressed her desire to clean up the legal mess she left behind all those years ago. Since I live in Oregon, I told her I would look into it. Now that she's out of school, she is considering flying to Oregon and turning herself in. If/when she turns herself in, she will likely be incarcerated for the bench warrant for skipping town while on probation. The question is...
Will she just be incarcerated for the bench warrant? Or will she also need to serve time for the felony, since she skipped town and never served time? Or are they both the same thing? One person we spoke to said that the bench warrant for skipping town is a separate thing from serving time for the felony. I don't see why they would be separate, as the two seemed intimately linked. My guess would be that they (Oregon) would just incarcerate her and make her serve time for the felony or possibly put her back on probation (unlikely), but I'm no law expert.
Is there an estimate as to how long she will be incarcerated? She hopes to be back in time to start graduate school in the Fall of 2010. If the bench warrant and felony charge are separate things, then could it be possible for her to serve time just for the warrant, get released, go back to school, and then go back to Oregon in a year or two in order to address the felony charge?
I would like to state that I in no way, shape, or form condone what my cousin did... especially growing marijuana and skipping town. She was young, stupid, and made a horribly stupid mistake. If it weren't for her complete rehabilitation, done on her own, and if it weren't for her doing so well in school, I would not be helping her. The positive here is that she was able to rehabilitate herself, get her life back on track, and become a contributing member of society WITHOUT being a burden to anyone and without being a burden to the state or other agenices. That said, the girl isn't trying to run or stay under the radar, she WANTS to turn herself in. She/we just want to know what exactly will happen and if she will be back in time to start school in the Fall.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this made sense. We are quite confused.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi everyone.
I am a current Oregon resident trying to get advice for my cousin, who now lives out of state.
Over 10 years ago, my cousin was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance. She grew 4 plants and was charged with a felony. She was barely 19 years old when it happened and was sentenced to 2 or 3 years probation. Unfortunately, marijuana was the least of her troubles. She was also a multiple substance abuser and was addicted to meth, among other things. Given her age, inexperience, and irrational drug-hazed mind, she stupidly skipped town in fear.... which resulted, of course, in a bench warrant.
Over the next ten years she stayed living out of Oregon (moved to the mid-west), cleaned herself up and quit using illegal substances. She has had a clean record (except for a speeding ticket once) for the whole 10 years and will continue to have a clean record. She has found work full time.... and even worked at places that required random drug testing.... passing each time. She has even gone back to school, graduated with a Bachelors degree with a high GPA, and is even considering continuing her education.
My cousin called me up some time ago and expressed her desire to clean up the legal mess she left behind all those years ago. Since I live in Oregon, I told her I would look into it. Now that she's out of school, she is considering flying to Oregon and turning herself in. If/when she turns herself in, she will likely be incarcerated for the bench warrant for skipping town while on probation. The question is...
Will she just be incarcerated for the bench warrant? Or will she also need to serve time for the felony, since she skipped town and never served time? Or are they both the same thing? One person we spoke to said that the bench warrant for skipping town is a separate thing from serving time for the felony. I don't see why they would be separate, as the two seemed intimately linked. My guess would be that they (Oregon) would just incarcerate her and make her serve time for the felony or possibly put her back on probation (unlikely), but I'm no law expert.
Is there an estimate as to how long she will be incarcerated? She hopes to be back in time to start graduate school in the Fall of 2010. If the bench warrant and felony charge are separate things, then could it be possible for her to serve time just for the warrant, get released, go back to school, and then go back to Oregon in a year or two in order to address the felony charge?
I would like to state that I in no way, shape, or form condone what my cousin did... especially growing marijuana and skipping town. She was young, stupid, and made a horribly stupid mistake. If it weren't for her complete rehabilitation, done on her own, and if it weren't for her doing so well in school, I would not be helping her. The positive here is that she was able to rehabilitate herself, get her life back on track, and become a contributing member of society WITHOUT being a burden to anyone and without being a burden to the state or other agenices. That said, the girl isn't trying to run or stay under the radar, she WANTS to turn herself in. She/we just want to know what exactly will happen and if she will be back in time to start school in the Fall.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this made sense. We are quite confused.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.
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