It is not at all uncommon for an individual to miss a scheduled court appearance. That said, the courts still take a missed court date very seriously. Besides finding you guilty for the underlying offense, the court will usually issue a bench warrant for your arrest. This means something as insignificant as a minor traffic ticket may be escalated into a warrant for your arrest and jailing!
However, with the help of counsel, this can be resolved. The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. can help you to both resolve a Bench Warrant and fight the underlying tickets when you Miss Your Court Date.
What Happens When I Miss a Court Date?
Traffic Tickets can be a hassle, especially when your court date is scheduled for an inopportune time. Although the penalties and fines for Traffic Tickets might seem minor, missing your court date is never a good idea. Courts take this matter very seriously and so should you.
Several things can occur if you miss your Traffic Ticket Court date. The first case scenario is a judgment will likely be entered against you for the ticket, meaning you cannot challenge it, and you will be found automatically guilty of the traffic violation. Second, the court might issue a bench warrant for your failure to appear for your hearing.
When you miss a court appearance and the judge issues a bench warrant you are facing potentially serious problems. A bench warrant means you may be arrested at any time. Another simple traffic stop will ultimately result in your arrest, regardless of the reason for this new stop. You do not want to ignore this and go through life with the probability of arrest hanging over your head every day.
Upon retaining counsel, depending on how much time has lapsed, your attorney may be able to resolve the missed court date with as little as a phone call, or you may need to go to court with counsel to resolve. Regardless of what steps need to be taken, the Bench Warrant is something which your attorney will be able to help you resolve.
At this juncture, you need to focus on fighting the underlying tickets which began this entire legal roller coaster. If your attorney was able to simply have the hearing rescheduled, then you will only need to appear at your next court date to contest the tickets.
However, it is more likely in Philadelphia that you will automatically be found guilty in absentia, and all penalties will thus be automatically assessed. This means you will need to file an appeal in order to fight any tickets.
The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. will do whatever possible to help you resolve any and all legal complications stemming from a ticket or arrest. Whether you retain us from the onset, upon missing a scheduled court appearance, or because you wish to file an appeal, we will help you resolve your legal matters.