Going to rehab in Florida is not always a voluntary action. If you have committed offenses related to drugs, you may be ordered by a court to attend a program. Should this occur, you will have no choice but to obey the order. Failure to do so, or to satisfy all the requirements of such a program, can result in serious legal and financial consequences.
When can you be ordered to attend rehab?
There are several situations in which you can be ordered by the court to attend a drug rehabilitation program. This will generally occur in the wake of conviction for any number of serious drug charges. If this is the case, you will be expected to enroll in the program and adhere to all stated conditions.
Some of the most common reasons that a court can issue this order include:
- The desire to help you avoid spending time in prison for your offense
- If you are a first-time offender with no previous criminal record
- If the offense was nonviolent
What are the penalties for violation?
Attending a court-ordered rehabilitation program is one of the best ways to get your charges reduced. But if you fail to attend or complete the program, you can be looking at some very stiff penalties. These can include severe fines as well as mandatory jail time. The nature of the penalties imposed will be at the judge’s discretion.
If you are a first-time offender, you can reasonably expect the penalties to be less than if you commit this offense several times. The more you do so, the more you risk spending time in prison. The amount of your fine may also be larger.