Is it Serious if I Missed A Court Date?

Legal Tips and Resources

Missing a court date is in no way similar to missing a doctor’s appointment. While you can contact your doctor’s office, reschedule your appointment, and possibly pay a late fee, it is not that simple in the court of law. Whatever your court hearing was originally scheduled for, you will not be charged with a failure to appear crime, and a warrant may be issued for your failure to appear. When you have been issued a warrant, when you encounter the police you will be taken into custody. Depending on the terms of your warrant, you may even be held in custody until your next court hearing date. However, some court dates are missed for reasons beyond your control so you should know what to do. If you are aware of your missed court date then it is likely you are able to take the appropriate steps in order to avoid being humiliated one day and randomly taken into custody. As soon as you realize you had a court date and it was missed, you should contact an attorney so they can negotiate with the courts for you to have the warrant lifted, depending on the circumstance.

By speaking with an attorney you save yourself money and humiliation. If you are aware that you will miss a court date before the court day comes, an attorney will review your case and present the information to a judge explaining why you were physically unable to appear and ask that the court date be continued, or changed to a later date. In the event that the court date has already passed and you did not show up, by contacting an attorney you can have your surrender arranged or have the warrant lifted totally.

No matter what the circumstances are, ill, physically unable, or even a flat tire, if you know you will miss your court date or have reason to believe you have already missed it, you need to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. By doing so, you show the court that you will like to resolve your current case and are not trying to run away from your responsibility. A skilled criminal defense attorney Atlanta, GA offers will review the details of your case and provide a reasonable excuse for your absence while also building your defense in the event that the facts do not matter to a judge. The right attorney will fight for you in the courthouse to ensure you get the justice you deserve regardless of your crime.  Speak with an attorney in your area as soon as possible.

 


 

Thank you to our friends and contributors at Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. for their insight into criminal defense and what to do if you miss a court date.