What happens if i missed my court date

Conversely, if you take your time about the fact that you missed your court date, the judge will be less likely to cut you any slack. Additionally, if you act extremely quickly, you may be able to rectify the situation before the judge issues a bench warrant, which we will discuss below.

Sometimes, there is a lag between your absence from the court and the actual issuance of the warrant. Acting quickly will always help you when it comes to failing to appear in court. There are also a few things you should NOT do after missing a court appearance. A missed court date is not usually something to take lightly. In the state of Florida, failing to appear in court is a crime. 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. Similarly, missing a court date for a felony is a Class 6 felony. A person convicted of a Class I misdemeanor faces one year in jail. Additionally, the judge could run the sentence on the charge of failure to appear consecutively with the sentences for other crimes.

A charge of failure to appear survives even if the court dismisses the charges that brought you to court. The court could hold you in contempt as an alternative to issuing a new criminal charge. Failing to appear in court might trigger a security forfeiture hearing. The court can order you to forfeit the bond posted unless you have a good excuse or the court finds that forfeiting your security would be unjust.

Acting swiftly and taking responsibility for missing a court date could help you avoid the severe consequences of failing to appear. Judges tend to look more favorably upon someone who takes responsibility for their actions instead of coming up with excuses. Do not wait to find out what happens when you miss your court date.

You should contact my office immediately to prepare to remove a bench warrant or answer to a contempt charge. Walking into court alone or waiting until you get arrested could make matters worse for you. You have two years from the date of the original decision to file an annulment application. Other resources for first time offenders. Article Read More. Read More.