Abscondment

Definition

The act of fleeing or hiding from supervision, typically by failing to report to a probation officer and making oneself unavailable. There is no statutory definition, and courts disagree on exactly what conduct qualifies — some require only a failure to appear, while others require a deliberate pattern of conduct that makes supervision impossible.

Examples

• •Rico absconded from her supervised release by making herself unavailable to her probation officer for an extended period, which triggered an arrest warrant.

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