What Happens If You Miss a Court Date

If you are summoned to court, your appearance is not optional. What happens if you fail to show up for your court date though? Whether you simply forgot because of your hectic lifestyle, or you purposefully missed it, here are some of the potential consequences.

Potential Consequences of a Missed Court Date

Bench Warrant - Bench warrants are almost always issued for missed court dates, but they behave much like any other warrant. As soon as you fail to appear in court, the judge is likely going to issue a bench warrant to you, which means that you are facing arrest. Even if you are simply pulled over for a broken taillight, an officer will see this warrant and take you into custody. Having a warrant on your record could influence future employment options since it will show up on a background check.

Charges - Failure to appear in court can also result in additional charges and fees. Depending on the nature of your court date, this can lead to jail time and cumbersome fines.

What Not to Do After You Miss a Court Date

It can be scary to realize that you have missed a court date, but there are a few things you should absolutely not do.

Don’t try to skip town to avoid future court appearances.

Don’t attempt to lie to the judge about why you missed the court date.

Don’t try to ignore the problem and hope that the judge forgets. They won’t forget.

Obviously, there are some very real consequences to missing a court date. Which is exactly why process servers provide such an important constitutional service. If a process server is trying to deliver something to you, don’t avoid them. They could be delivering a summons to court and failure to show up would only spell bad news for you.

On the other hand, if you need to enlist the help of a process server, contact Roland Investigations. We will make sure that your documents are served professionally and quickly.

By Roland Investigations 5-23-2022