If you enter into Pretrial Diversion (PTD) or are placed on probation for a misdemeanor domestic violence offense in Miami-Dade County, you may have to continue going to court even though your case has been resolved.
In the Miami-Dade County Court's Domestic Violence Division, cases where defendants are participants in PTD or are on probation will often be called back to court within 45 days of accepting PTD or being placed on probation. This could be the first of several mandatory court appearances.
This calendar is called the Judicial Review Calendar. The purpose of this calendar is so that the court can monitor the progress of defendants in PTD and on probation. At these hearings, the court will have reports from The Advocate Program, the company that supervises PTD participants and probationers. The Advocate Program representative will be in court to tell the judge whether the defendant has been attending required classes, paying costs of supervision, and reporting as ordered. If the PTD participant or probationer has any other conditions that they must fulfill, the Advocate rep will inform the court of that progress as well.
If you have retained a criminal defense attorney for your domestic violence case, your attorney should go with you for JRC (Judicial Review Calendar) hearings. If not, then your attorney should at least explain to you that even after your case is resolved, you will still be required to go to court until the case is dismissed (final disposition of a PTD case) or your probation has been terminated (typically one year). Personally, I always attend JRC hearings with my clients because I do not believe a represented defendant should ever go to court alone.
Eric Matheny represents clients charged with domestic violence crimes in Miami-Dade and Broward.