Q: Hi, I am having issues with fulfilling my community service hours due to COVID
I am wondering about how courts are dealing with this COVID mess and the required hours for community service. Instead of doing Sentence-to-serve, I have been approved to do community service but have been having a difficult time fulfilling my hours. My deadline has already been pushed back twice due to COVID, but the COVID situation has not improved yet. My current deadline is February, but I have 120 hours to complete and am struggling to find places to volunteer as some are not even allowing volunteers currently and others seem risky for me as an individual with asthma. Therefore, I am worried and would like to know if the courts are open and understanding about these extensions for COVID or if I am simply going to be thrown into jail if I am not able to complete all of my hours by February? I would greatly appreciate any help or knowledge provided!
A: You should have your attorney contact the court for you and get you an answer or an extension.
A: You should find a way to get the hours done. Perhaps online might be an option.
A: I would expect that a probation and a judge would give extensions for this reason, but in the end would require the time to be served in jail. After all, community service is considered a jail substitute by the courts. Therefore, if it were me, I'd simply find a way to get the hours done. Online may be an option. Perhaps the probation department has some ideas.
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