Failure to Appear in Trussville

Papers from the court or formal criminal charges are stressful and intimidating and keeping track of your schedule after the court brings formal charges could become increasingly difficult. Illness, employment, or caring for your family may lead to a missed court appearance. No matter the reason, allowing a Trussville failure to appear lawyer to quickly address the situation may help minimize the harm from not appearing at court. Not appearing in court during a scheduled hearing could lead to additional charges on your record. Before you ignore the situation, work with an accomplished defense attorney and deal with it head-on.

After failing to appear at a court hearing, a judge may issue a warrant for an arrest and keep any posted bond. An arrest warrant allows the first police officer to locate the person accused of skipping a court hearing to arrest them. They may then hold that person in jail until the court schedules a hearing.

The potential outcome of a failure to appear case relies heavily on the type of charges for which a defendant failed to appear. As a failure to appear attorney in Trussville could detail, the courts will bring different cases and charges against a defendant. These cases are unique to the charges a person faces.

There are different types of cases that a person could fail to appear. These include cases dealing with summons and complaint, appeals in a circuit court, and misdemeanor and felony cases.

People arrested and formally charged with a crime in Trussville are often released until their court date. This release is typically contingent on the person’s promise to come back for a court date or payment of a bond. If the person does not appear, the court could charge that person with bail jumping.

First-degree bail jumping occurs when a person is charged with a Class A or B felony, as noted in Code of Alabama §13A-10-39. Lesser felonies and misdemeanors could lead to charges of second-degree bail jumping. There may be defenses available if the failure to appear was unintentional.

In a non-violent offense case not dealing with alcohol or drugs, the police may choose not to arrest the actor and may alternatively issue a summons and complaint. This document may order the actor to appear in court at a stated date and time. If the accused does not appear, the judge may issue a warrant for that person’s arrest. It should be noted that if the person gave a written promise to appear or a bond, the court will find that person guilty of a misdemeanor for willfully failing to appear.

If a defendant appeals a case from a municipal court for a misdemeanor offense or violation of city law, the circuit court will hear the appeal. When the defendant does not come to that circuit court hearing, the court will dismiss the case after 30 days. Then the municipal court may issue a warrant for the defendant’s arrest or the police may just arrest that person as an escapee. No matter which reason a person may have failed to appear for their court date, they are recommended to contact a Trussville failure to appear lawyer immediately.

When the court orders you to appear, there may be serious consequences if you do not obey. The judge has a wide array of powers to punish those who do not show up for trial or court dates. If you have missed some court-ordered appearance, consider reaching out to a Trussville failure to appear lawyer to learn more about the steps you may wish to take moving forward.

Ignoring the problem may lead to an arrest at an inopportune time, or more charges at the trial level. Before deciding how to proceed, speak with an attorney who may be vital in helping mitigate the negative outcomes of a charge.