If you do not live in Florida but received a citation while visiting the state, it is still imperative that you return to Florida and show up for court. You cannot ignore a notice to appear in any situation. Missing your court date likely means facing some serious consequences, including the following. Almost immediately after someone misses their court date, a judge will usually issue a bench warrant.
Bench warrants are very similar to traditional arrest warrants, except that they are almost exclusively for a missed court date. It is unlikely to have a bench warrant for any other reason. The crucial thing for you to know is that you may face arrest when you have a bench warrant out against you. If you have any encounter with law enforcement , they have the power to arrest you. Even if they merely pull you over for a broken taillight, if the officer runs your license and discovers your bench warrant, you could go to jail.
It is unlikely that a police officer will come to your house or your place of employment and arrest you. However, this may happen in some situations. This event will usually only occur if the initial charge for which you failed to appear in court was especially severe.
Having a warrant out for your arrest can significantly impact your life. It can show up on background checks when applying for a job. Did the judge find you guilty? Did the judge issue a bench warrant for your arrest? These are facts you need to know. In order to find out what happened, you should consult with an attorney promptly. Your attorney can obtain the court records from your case, and he or she can advise you regarding your next steps.
While you may still have options available, you will need to act quickly to protect yourself, and you will need to make smart decisions based on the advice of experienced legal counsel.
Did you miss a court date in your South Carolina criminal case? Contact us now to speak with a Rock Hill criminal defense lawyer in confidence. Call or tell us how we can reach you online to get a free consultation. Email Address. Phone Number. There will be a clerk sitting at the front of the courtroom, next to the judge's chair. Tell the clerk you are there for your Petition to Vacate Bond Forfeiture and show the clerk a copy of the petition.
Then sit down in the courtroom and wait for your case to be called. Note: Proceedings are currently being heard via Zoom only and that information will be given to you by the court.
Monitor the Cook County website for more Zoom information and for any updates on the court opening for in-person hearings. Step up and stand in front of the judge. Tell the judge you are there for your Petition to Vacate Bond Forfeiture. You will have to tell the judge why you missed your last court date and why the judge should trust that you will be at all future court dates.
Ask the judge to put your bond back in place so you can be released without having to pay more bond. Make sure you take any evidence that supports, or explains why you missed your court date. For example, hospital papers showing that you were in the hospital during the court date.
Only logged-in users can post comments. Please log in or register if you want to leave a comment. We do our best to reply to each comment. We can't give legal advice in the comments, so if you have a question or need legal help, please go to Get Legal Help. In addition to charging you with a crime, the court can take various actions if you fail to appear.
In order to find that you have failed to appear, the court must determine that you had proper notice and willfully did not appear. If the proper procedure is notice by mail, the court is only required to mail notice to your address in the court records or to your attorney.
If you are not represented by an attorney, such as in a traffic case, it is your responsibility to keep the court informed of your address. If your address changes and you do not receive notice because you did not inform the court of your new address, this will not excuse your to failure to appear. If circumstances beyond your control kept you from appearing in court such as serious illness, an accident, or a natural disaster, this may be a defense to a charge of failure to appear. If you are not a defendant in a criminal or traffic case but are required to appear in court as a witness or for some other purpose, you also must follow the order to appear.
If you do not show up as ordered, you also will be at risk of being charged with failure to appear or criminal contempt and the court can issue a bench warrant for your arrest. Whatever the reason, if you did not appear as required for a court hearing or other proceeding, you should consult with an attorney as soon as possible. An attorney will know the law in your state or community regarding failure to appear and can assist and advise you in how to proceed.
In particular, the attorney can represent you in a hearing before the judge to address the failure to appear. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. In some states, the information on this website may be considered a lawyer referral service.
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