For some defendants in criminal cases, a deferred sentence is a way not only to avoid jail, but also to avoid a criminal conviction altogether. In a deferred sentence, a defendant pleads guilty to the particular crime with which he or she is charged, but instead of finding the defendant guilty, the judge delays rendering judgment and sentencing the defendant to jail or prison until the defendant has a chance to complete a term of probation.
At the end of the probationary term, the judge will render judgment of guilty or not guilty, based upon the defendant's compliance or non-compliance with the rules of probation...
If... the defendant has somehow violated the conditions of probation, the judge will likely accept the defendant's plea, rendering a judgment of "guilty." He or she will then sentence the defendant, who has now been convicted of the crime, in accordance with the penalties stipulated by law. The defendant faces the possibility of being sentenced to the maximum jail or prison term allowable by law.