VAN NUYS, Calif. — A judge in Van Nuys Courthouse West on Wednesday revoked a man’s probation during a progress report and proof of restitution hearing, finding he failed to complete a required community labor condition despite defense arguments that family crises prevented compliance.
The hearing was held to review the accused’s progress report and proof of restitution. The accused had been making payments toward restitution; however, he had not made any progress in completing his 45 days of assigned community labor.
According to Deputy Public Defender Ariel Armendariz, this was because the accused had been dealing with numerous family issues. In the past six months, there had been six deaths in his family, and in November, he became the primary caregiver for his seven-year-old son.
DPD Armendariz emphasized the seriousness of this obligation, stating, “This is an obligation, and it’s owed to the court,” and that the accused understood the importance of complying with the court’s orders and intended to complete the requirement as soon as possible.
However, Deputy District Attorney Emmanuel Vargas recommended revoking probation. He noted how there had been a previous progress report hearing in December, and the accused had received an extension until Sept. 8, 2026, to fulfill the community service requirement, yet despite this, “no progress” had been made in satisfying the requirement.
Though the accused stated that he believed he would be able to complete the 45 community service days by September, DPD Armendariz requested that the court allow him to remain on probation and receive an extension in light of his circumstances.
She explained that because community labor is only offered on certain weekends, it would be quite difficult for the accused to complete the full requirement in time.
However, Judge Sharon L. Ransom-Brooks ultimately found the lack of progress to be a violation of the terms of probation. She revoked the accused’s probation and scheduled a probation violation hearing for June 25, 2026.
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