The probation officer also does an extensive search of the defendant’s prior criminal record as well as his or her family, financial, and education history. The officer will also contact the victims named in the case to obtain a victim impact statement. The officer gathers the police agency’s version of the facts and the defendant’s version of the facts regarding the underlying offense. The PSI is an interview conducted by a specialized probation officer who – along with a defendant’s attorney – gathers as much information as possible to aid in a Judge’s decision on punishment. The Mechanics of a Pre-Sentence Investigation For agreed pleas to probation or deferred adjudication, the practice by the Tarrant County courts is that pre-sentence investigation is not often conducted, even though the law would seem to dictate otherwise. Unless one of these scenarios are present, the court is required to conduct a pre-sentence investigation.
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