Prince George’s County Failure to Appear Lawyer
People in Prince George’s County miss court dates for a variety of reasons. If the car breaks down or a promised ride fails to show, you may have no way to get to court. Or an illness or family emergency may cause you to miss your scheduled court appearance. Or you may have simply forgotten or got the date wrong. Regardless of the reason, failure to appear in court can lead to criminal charges if not handled properly, even if you only missed jury duty. It is wise to address the problem as soon as possible, and a Prince George’s County failure to appear lawyer could assist with this. A dedicated criminal defense attorney could advocate on your behalf before the court to help minimize the consequences.
Why it is Important to Act Quickly
Judges are human, and they understand that there are often legitimate reasons for missing a court date. They also understand that people make mistakes. However, their familiarity with human nature makes them aware that some people will concoct an excuse for anything if given the chance.
When someone who has missed a court date immediately steps forward to admit the problem and seek to reschedule the appearance, the excuse or remorse appear much more genuine than if the person is caught later after issuance of a bench warrant. So, the court is much more likely to take a lenient stance when the individual who missed a court appearance takes a proactive role right away. Whatever the circumstances may be an accused individual should speak with a skilled PG County failure to appear lawyer to discuss their potential legal options.
Failure to Appear for Jury Duty
It may seem hard to believe, but failure to appear for jury duty is an offense that can result in incarceration. If an individual fails to appear for jury service after being summoned, under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. §8-504 a judge may order that person to show cause for missing the appearance. If the individual “fails to show good cause” for the absence in court, then the person may be imprisoned for up to two months and ordered to pay a fine of up to $1,000.
It is important to note that the statute specifically provides the opportunity to have the absence excused. But it is up to the person who missed jury duty to take action to show good cause for the absence.
Skipping Bail in Response to a Citation
The consequences may be even more serious when someone fails to appear in court in response to a citation. Md. Code, Crim. Pro. §5-212 explains that those who fail to appear may be convicted of a misdemeanor offense with penalties that include up to three months in jail and a fine of up to $500. Therefore, it may be in an individual’s best interest to obtain a dedicated failure to appear attorney in PG County.
In addition, when a defendant fails to appear in court, the judge may issue a bench warrant for that individual’s arrest. A bench warrant may not necessarily send the police out to make an immediate arrest, but the warrant does authorize police to make an arrest at any time. Information about the warrant would be shared throughout PG County and into other jurisdictions so that if the individual was stopped for a traffic violation or other issue, they might then be arrested for the failure to appear offense.
Get Help from a Prince George’s County Failure to Appear Attorney
While it is wise to address a failure to appear issue as soon as possible, it is not always feasible. An experienced Prince George’s County failure to appear lawyer may assist at any point in the process. If a bench warrant has been issued for your arrest, it may be possible to have the warrant quashed.
There are defensive strategies for any situation, and a knowledgeable defense lawyer could analyze the circumstances to determine the course of action best calculated to lead to a positive outcome. For a free consultation to learn how a failure to appear lawyer could help in your case, call now.