Worcester Failure to Appear Lawyer
Failing to appear in court when ordered to do so typically just makes a bad situation worse. You could end up facing an additional charge for failing to appear in conjunction with the other criminal offense, even if it was relatively minor in nature.
If you genuinely forgot about a court date or missed it for a legitimate reason, a Worcester failure to appear lawyer may be able to help you take care of your warrant for failure to appear and any underlying criminal charges. Contact a knowledgeable criminal attorney to help you maneuver through any legal repercussions you may face for missing your court date.
Missing a Court Date For Citations
When a court orders individuals to appear in response to citations that law enforcement officers have issued to them. As an attorney may stress, arriving at court is required.
If individuals fail to appear when ordered to do so, the judge hearing the citation may issue a bench warrant for their arrest pursuant to Maryland Code, Criminal Pro. § 5-212. The only exceptions to this law could be citations issued by Natural Resources officers, parking citations, and selected traffic citations.
As a Worcester attorney could explain, the penalties for failing to appear in court in response to citations may include a misdemeanor conviction, a jail sentence up to 90 days, and a fine of up to $500. If individuals receive an additional jail sentence from conviction on the criminal offense on which they failed to appear, they may serve these sentences concurrently, or at the same time.
Not Appearing for Jury Duty
Prospective jurors who receive jury summonses are prohibited from failing to appear in court, pursuant to Maryland Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings Law § 8-504. When prospective jurors fail to appear, judges may order them to appear in court on another date to explain their previous failure to appear. Individuals who violate this code section may be subject to a maximum 60-day jail sentence and a fine of $1,000.
Absence for Natural Resources Citations
Procedures are different for those who fail to appear in response to citations issued by Natural Resources officers. Under Maryland Code, Natural Resources Law § 1-205, if individuals are accused of misdemeanor criminal offenses, Natural Resources officers may allow them to sign a promise to appear in court instead of immediately taking them into custody. Once individuals sign a promise to appear, they must either appear in court, post a bond, or pay the fine in advance of the promise to appear date.
If individuals fail to abide by their promise to appear, the court may issue a bench warrant for their arrests or notify the court clerk of their failure to appear after five days have passed.
The clerk may then advise the individuals by mail that if they do not respond within 15 days of the date of the notice, either by paying a $100 failure to appear fine and the original fine assessed in the citation, or by posting a bond and requesting a trial date, then a warrant will be issued for their arrest.
If individuals still do not respond at that point, the court cannot issue a bench warrant in this situation any earlier than 20 days after the regularly scheduled trial date. A knowledgeable Worcester failure to appear attorney could help individual’s further understand their rights.
Get the Advice of a Worcester Failure to Appear Attorney
If you already are facing a criminal charge and have inadvertently failed to appear, you may need the help of a Worcester failure to appear lawyer in order to resolve your situation in the most positive manner possible.
Our team may be able to assist you in quashing any warrants that have been issued for your failure to appear and exploring your options for resolving other criminal charges. Call today.