When you get charged with a crime, you get a court date. You miss that court date and you risk being hit with additional punishments. A Blue Bell criminal defense lawyer can tell you why it’s not a good plan to forget about your day in court and neglect to show up.

What Can a Judge Do If I Miss My Court Date?

If you miss your court date, the judge is likely to issue a bench warrant. This means that you can be arrested. If the police find you just walking around, they can arrest you. If you are stopped for a traffic violation, you’re arrested. The court is not happy that you wasted its time and that you ignored your obligation.

What Kinds of Punishments Can I Face If I Miss My Court Date?

There are a variety of ways to punish someone for missing their court date. First, and this is probably the obvious one, you will be held for up to 72 hours in jail if you are caught and arrested by the police. The court might also decide that:

  • You have forfeited any bond or bail you have already paid
  • You should have your driver’s license suspended
  • Contempt and other charges are on the table

Missing your court date can also affect you if you are accused of committing any crimes in the future. A history of failing to appear before judges can reflect poorly on you. That can make it much harder to be released on pre-trial bail. If the court looks at your past and decides that you cannot be trusted to be let out on your own, you could be stuck in a jail cell until your trial begins.

Are There Legitimate Excuses For Missing a Court Appearance?

There are valid reasons to miss a court date, but they basically come down to things like emergencies and unavoidable delays. You may be able to get a new court date due to a medical emergency of your own or one of a family member. A new court date could also be granted if you were in an accident on the way to the courtroom.

If you know that your appearance date is not going to work for whatever reason, you should act quickly. You may be able to change it. Making this effort as early as you can is certainly a smarter decision than ignoring the problem and simply not showing up when you’re expected to.

Talk to an Attorney

If you have been charged with a crime, you should do everything you can to fight back and avoid the harshest penalties. That means showing up when you’re supposed to and scheduling a consultation with our legal team. Contact Mudrick & Zucker to learn more about what we can do for you.