What is the difference between deferred adjudication and Probation?

First, Texas classifies both of these punishments as "community service," — one is called "Deferred Adjudication Community Service" and the other is called just "Community Service" or what we used to call "probation." Second, Deferred Adjudication is a punishment that an individual can only receive from the Judge and never a jury, whereas probation can be received from either a Judge or a Jury. Third, in a Deferred Adjudication situation, the Judge defers a finding of guilty against an individual and places that person on community service without entering judgment of guilty. On the other hand, under the punishment known as "probation", the person is found or judged "guilty" and sentenced, but the sentence is then probated. With probation the individual is actually convicted, but the sentence is probated, whereas with the "Deferred Adjudication" the person is not convicted, but is placed on community service. However, as stated in Question 24, Deferred Adjudication is not a punishment option in a DWI case in Texas. If some attorney mentions to you that it might be available or tells you that it is, then you are not talking with a DWI Attorney.