Missed a Court Date After Bailing Out? Learn What Will Happen to You!
After bailing out of jail, it is stressed to you over and over that you must attend every court date that is scheduled. However, no one is perfect and things unexpectedly happen. You may have come down sick at the last minute or you may have mixed up your court date. If this happens, you may find yourself wondering what happens if you miss your court date after bailing out. Here is what may happen if you fail to appear for one of your court dates.
A Warrant For Your Arrest Will Be Issued
As soon as you fail to show up for a court date, a bench warrant will be issued for you by the judge. If you are pulled over while driving or have any encounters with the police and they run your name, the warrant will appear and you can be arrested immediately. As such, you do not want a bench warrant hanging over your head. It is also important to note that if a bench warrant is issued, bail is not granted. The only way to clear the bench warrant is to appear before a judge. As such, if you are arrested, you will have to wait in jail until you are able to appear before a judge, which may take a few days.
Talk to Your Attorney Or Public Defender Immediately
If you have not yet missed your court date, but you know you will be unable to attend, call your attorney or public defender right away. For example, if you wake up sick, contact their office. They may be able to get your case taken off of the calendar for the day and rescheduled to another day, helping you to avoid having a bench warrant issued.
If you have missed your court date, you will want to contact your attorney or the public defender representing you immediately. They can get your case put back on the calendar and depending on the circumstances, they may be able to have the warrant recalled or stayed until the hearing date. If an attorney puts your case back on the calendar, you may not necessarily be arrested for missing court. In most cases, the judge simply quashes the warrant once you appear.
Make Contact With Your Bail Bonds Agency
After contacting your attorney or public defender, you will want to contact the bail bonds company that bailed you out of jail. Once there is a warrant out for your arrest, the bail bonds agency can have one of their agents or a bounty hunter try to remand you into custody. If this occurs, they will have to take you to jail. However, many bail bonds agents will work with you. If you notify the bail bonds company and let them know why you missed court and that your attorney has already scheduled a new court date, the chances of them coming after you are slim. It is also important to note that a bail bonds company can revoke your bond if you miss court. While it is unlikely they will do so if you miss one time, the odds of this happening increase if you miss multiple dates.
Your Fate Will Lie In the Hands of a Judge
Once you are in front of a judge after missing a court date, the judge has the final say in what happens to you. The judge has the ability to release you back out on bond, has the ability to increase your bond amount or can revoke your bond if they consider you to be a flight risk or if you have missed too many court dates. Judges tend to be more lenient on those who have only missed one court date, and who took the effort to have a new court date scheduled. Those who have missed several courts dates and/or ran away from their issues are more likely to be seen as a flight risk, and as such, judges are more strict with them.
Have you or a loved one been arrested in Las Vegas? Does bail need to be posted? If so, contact Lightning Bail Bonds today. We can help you or your loved one get out of jail lightning quick. Give us a call now to get started.
