18 U.S.C. § 3561 : US Code - Section 3561: Sentence of probation

Search 18 U.S.C. § 3561 : US Code - Section 3561: Sentence of probation

(a) In General. - A defendant who has been found guilty of an
offense may be sentenced to a term of probation unless -
(1) the offense is a Class A or Class B felony and the
defendant is an individual;
(2) the offense is an offense for which probation has been
expressly precluded; or
(3) the defendant is sentenced at the same time to a term of
imprisonment for the same or a different offense that is not a
petty offense.
(b) Domestic Violence Offenders. - A defendant who has been
convicted for the first time of a domestic violence crime shall be
sentenced to a term of probation if not sentenced to a term of
imprisonment. The term "domestic violence crime" means a crime of
violence for which the defendant may be prosecuted in a court of
the United States in which the victim or intended victim is the
spouse, former spouse, intimate partner, former intimate partner,
child, or former child of the defendant, or any other relative of
the defendant.
(c) Authorized Terms. - The authorized terms of probation are -
(1) for a felony, not less than one nor more than five years;
(2) for a misdemeanor, not more than five years; and
(3) for an infraction, not more than one year.