August 09, 2018
What Happens if You Fail to Appear in Court?
Failure to appear in court is more than just missing your court date. Failure to appear is a legal offense that has serious consequences. Miller and Terry can provide you with the important details you need regarding this serious violation.
Results of Failure to Appear
Bench Warrant
If you fail to show up for a bench or jury trial or any other required court appearance, you may be issued a bench warrant. Judges are very serious about failure to appear in court. Once a judge issues a bench warrant, you can be arrested in any jurisdiction.
Suspended Driver’s License
Failure to appear in court can also result in your driver’s license being suspended. You will not receive notice of your suspension, but once it’s issued, you can no longer drive legally. If you are caught driving with a suspended license, you will be facing serious consequences, including the failure to appear warrant.
Contempt of Court
Depending on when you are charged and your existing legal history, you run the risk of being in contempt of court. Failure to appear when the judge ordered you to be in court can be interpreted as “willful disobedience, or disregard, of the court.” Contempt of court can end up in jail time and inconvenient court fees.
Jail Time & Court Fees
Failure to appear is a serious offense with scary consequences. You may face jail time and costly fines. Jail time could cost you your job. You will be confined to jail until the judge lets you out. It’s better to keep track of dates and appear in court than run the risk of all these punishments.
Sometimes, bad things happen to good people and a court date gets missed. Your best bet is to seek legal counsel if you miss your court date and are facing legal consequences.