Anne Arundel Failure to Appear Lawyer
While missing a court date initially might seem relatively minor, you will quickly learn that a missed court date can result in a separate misdemeanor charge with its own set of penalties. A failure to appear charge is in addition to the underlying criminal charge that resulted in the failure to appear.
Furthermore, a failure to appear puts you at risk for arrest on an outstanding warrant in the most uncomfortable of circumstances, such as an arrest at your job, at your home in front of your family and neighbors, and out in your community.
With the help of an Anne Arundel failure to appear lawyer, you may be able to build a strong defense that could improve your chances of reaching a favorable outcome in court. Contact a seasoned criminal defense attorney today and schedule a consultation with a skilled legal professional.
Failure to Appear in Response to Citation
Under the Maryland Code of Criminal Procedure §5-212, courts may issue bench warrants for the arrest of individuals who fail to appear in court in response to a citation. The only exceptions are citations for parking violations or regulations, certain traffic offenses, or those issued by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources police officers.
Individuals who violate this code section commit a misdemeanor offense and can face up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both. Penalties for failure to appear may run concurrently with any penalties that individuals receive for the underlying criminal offenses for which they failed to appear. An Anne Arundel failure to appear attorney could help someone avoid these penalties.
Failing to Appear for Jury Service
Maryland Code of Courts and Judicial Proceedings §8-504 provides that individuals may not fail to appear for jury service when summoned. When individuals fail to appear for jury duty, a judge may order them to appear at a separate hearing to show cause for their failure to appear. A violation of this code section can be ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, serve a jail sentence of up to 60 days, or both.
Failure to Appear in Response to Department of Natural Resources Citation
Pursuant to the Maryland Code of Natural Resources §1-205, if a Natural Resources police officer issues citations to appear to individuals for offenses that would be misdemeanors under Maryland law, these individuals can sign the citations as their promise to appear in court in lieu of being taken into custody. Individuals may not violate their promise to appear in court unless they post a bond, pay the fine in advance, or retain an Anne Arundel failure to appear lawyer to represent them.
When individuals violate their promise to appear, the court may either issue a warrant for their arrest or, after five days, notify the court’s clerk of the individuals’ noncompliance.
If the court opts to notify the court’s clerk, the clerk shall notify the individuals by mail that warrants for their arrest will be issued if they do not respond within 15 days of the date of the notice by either paying a $100 failure to appear fine and the original fine or by posting a bond or penalty deposit and requesting a new trial date.
Individuals who fail to respond to the clerk’s notice can be subject to an arrest warrant. However, if the original offense is not punishable by incarceration under Maryland law, then the court may not issue a failure to appear warrant to individuals earlier than 20 days following the original trial date.
Contact an Anne Arundel Failure to Appear Attorney
A failure to appear charge in conjunction with other criminal charges can be damaging to your professional and personal life and cause you to become subject to an unwanted and unanticipated arrest warrant.
An Anne Arundel failure to appear lawyer may be able to assist you in resolving any outstanding arrest warrants and work to defend you against any other criminal charges.