If the prosecutor is willing to resolve your case with pre-trial probation (PTP), it means the charges against you will be dismissed after a specified period of time, generally from several months to a year or so. During this time your case will remain open, and you must comply with certain conditions that you and the prosecutor will agree to. Typical conditions could include drug or alcohol testing, community service, or staying away from a certain person or place. By agreeing to pre-trial probation, you do not plead guilty or make any admission to the crime, and you are not considered to be “on probation.” At the end of the pre-trial probation period, the case will against you will be dismissed, and will show on your record as having been dismissed.

If you violate the terms of the pre-trial probation agreement, the Commonwealth can choose to prosecute the charge against you.

Pre-trial probation is generally a very favorable way to resolve a case, and is used mostly for less serious cases, and with individuals who have no criminal record.