§3602 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

A U.S. district court must appoint qualified people to serve as probation officers in its area. They can be paid or unpaid. A probation officer appointed in one district may serve in another district if both the appointing court and the other court agree. The court can remove a paid officer for cause and may remove an unpaid officer at its choice. The appointment must be entered in the court record, a copy given to the officer, and a copy sent to the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. If the court appoints more than one probation officer, it can name one as chief to direct the others.

Title 18, §3602

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A district court of the United States shall appoint qualified persons to serve, with or without compensation, as probation officers within the jurisdiction and under the direction of the court making the appointment. A person appointed as a probation officer in one district may serve in another district with the consent of the appointing court and the court in the other district. The appointing court may, for cause, remove a probation officer appointed to serve with compensation, and may, in its discretion, remove a probation officer appointed to serve without compensation.

(b)The order of appointment shall be entered on the records of the court, a copy of the order shall be delivered to the officer appointed, and a copy shall be sent to the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

(c)If the court appoints more than one probation officer, one may be designated by the court as chief probation officer and shall direct the work of all probation officers serving in the judicial district.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–113 inserted “A person appointed as a probation officer in one district may serve in another district with the consent of the appointing court and the court in the other district.” after first sentence and “appointing” before “court may, for cause, remove”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Nov. 1, 1987, and applicable only to offenses committed after the taking effect of this section, see section 235(a)(1) of Pub. L. 98–473, set out as a note under section 3551 of this title.

§3602 Appointment of Probation Officers