Failing to appear in court when charged with a crime has serious consequences, including a potential felony charge. Given your legal jeopardy, finding a dedicated defense attorney to serve as your advocate should be your first priority.
While this situation might seem impossible, there are ways to fight a conviction and even have the charges dismissed. The sooner you take action, the better your chances of success. Reach out to secure me as your Athens failure to appear lawyer today.
There are several reasons why a person might fail to appear at a scheduled court date. The most common involve simply forgetting about the hearing or being unable to attend for reasons outside that individual’s control. These could include anything from being involved in an accident to facing arrest for unrelated charges.
There are also scenarios where missing a court date is intentional. Someone might refuse to appear out of fear of being arrested or because they hope that the charges will eventually be dropped if they can delay the proceedings. However, the result is usually an arrest warrant. As an Athens attorney, I could help you if you failed to appear at a scheduled court date.
The legal system is not always forgiving when someone misses a required court date. When someone forgets about their court date or is forced to miss due to circumstances outside their control, they should contact the clerk’s office or law enforcement to make arrangements. Depending on the circumstances, this could involve anything from turning themselves into the police to appearing in court to address the charges.
Not everyone voluntarily addresses missed court dates. When someone does not appear in court at the appointed time, the judge could issue a warrant for their arrest. For minor charges, these warrants can sit for months until the police happen to cross paths with that individual and bring them into custody. When the underlying charges are serious, law enforcement will often actively pursue an arrest on that warrant.
In any of these scenarios, my guidance as an Athens failure to appear attorney could be invaluable. I may be able to have the charges dropped or allow the accused to appear in court to address the issue instead of being arrested.
Failure to appear in court has consequences, but like all criminal charges, they only go into effect after a conviction. The penalties associated with this offense vary dramatically. For example, missing a court date on a traffic ticket carries a maximum of three days in jail and a fine of no more than $200.
Steeper penalties apply when the underlying charge is a felony. Anyone on probation or released from jail awaiting trial could have their bail or their parole revoked. Having my support as a lawyer in Athens could help you avoid the consequences of failure to appear in court.
If you have been accused of failing to show up at a scheduled court date, you could have viable options for your defense. Ignoring a failure to appear charge will only make the situation worse.
Taking proactive steps by working with me, a skilled legal professional, can help you protect your rights and potentially avoid further penalties. Instead of representing yourself, improve your chances for a positive outcome by hiring me as your Athens failure to appear lawyer with Andrew H. Stevenson Attorney at Law.