When Does a Probation Officer Over Step His Boundaries

[DozerTaco]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Michigan

My sister is on probation and sees a counselor that communicates with the probation officer. She recently left someone who was not good for her or her daughter. She is on probation for DUI's. She recently has met someone who actually makes her feel good about herself and is helping her through the recovery process of drinking. Her counselor told her that she is proud of her and her new friend is good for her. When she went to the PO the PO asked her what his middle name was and that she wanted to run him, my sister did not know his middle name and she jumped all over my sister saying you don't know his middle name and you stayed the night at his house!!! My sister also mentioned that my niece stayed with her dad and the PO yelled again and said, no she didn't her dad is dead (broke my sister's heart) but she was talking about who my niece has called dad for 5 years and the PO knows that. Is is alright for a PO to demean my sister when it comes to her personal life or should it just be about the case at hand?

[cyjeff]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Michigan

My sister is on probation and sees a counselor that communicates with the probation officer. She recently left someone who was not good for her or her daughter. She is on probation for DUI's. She recently has met someone who actually makes her feel good about herself and is helping her through the recovery process of drinking. Her counselor told her that she is proud of her and her new friend is good for her. When she went to the PO the PO asked her what his middle name was and that she wanted to run him, my sister did not know his middle name and she jumped all over my sister saying you don't know his middle name and you stayed the night at his house!!! My sister also mentioned that my niece stayed with her dad and the PO yelled again and said, no she didn't her dad is dead (broke my sister's heart) but she was talking about who my niece has called dad for 5 years and the PO knows that. Is is alright for a PO to demean my sister when it comes to her personal life or should it just be about the case at hand?

Is your sister a felon?

[DozerTaco]

Is your sister a felon?

No she is not.

[cyjeff]

Okay... a PO is not a father confessor or a friend. A PO is a person whose job it is to make sure your sister doesn't screw up and, if she does, punish for that screw up.

If you are wondering why the PO isn't being nice, it is because "nice" isn't in the job description. Your sister is being punished and the PO is the delivery system for that punishment.

Now then, the PO has an absolute right to know whom your sister is associating with and whom your sister chooses to leave the child with... And YES, your sister lied to the PO when she said the child was with her father... because that man is NOT her father.

If your sister doesn't like her PO, she can ask for another. She better have a far better reason that "she doesn't like me, wants to know with whom I am associating with and wants to make sure my daughter isn't being raised by strangers while I go out drinking."

[DozerTaco]

Alright. But he is not a stranger at all it is who my niece calls dad that is all she knows since the age of 2. She can't drink she has to blow 2 times a day. It had nothing to do with drinking, I suppose the PO was just in a bad mood. Thank you for your response.

[jklo]

My sister also mentioned that my niece stayed with her dad and the PO yelled again and said, no she didn't her dad is dead (broke my sister's heart) but she was talking about who my niece has called dad for 5 years and the PO knows that.

And YES, your sister lied to the PO when she said the child was with her father... because that man is NOT her father.

The kid calls the guy dad. And has for 5 years.
The PO knows the kid calls the guy dad.
The sister probably always refers to the guy as the 'dad'.
Sounds like the PO is an a$$.
I'd be mad at them too.

It's not lying to say that the child is with the dad when there's no genetic connection. You don't only get to be a father by sleeping with someone...

I've been with a friend who got pulled over by a cop and told him it was his dad's car. Well, these two people share no genes but the kid wasn't lying to the cop or trying to mislead him.

[aaron]

It's pretty clear that the probation officer wants 100% factual information, and thus it would make sense to proceed on that basis.