After you are released from jail through the bail system, you are probably going to be constantly reminded that you must be present at every scheduled appointment with the courts. However, nothing is perfect, and things happen unexpectedly. You may be sick at the last minute or confuse your trial date. In this case, you might want to think about what happens if you miss a court date after being released on bail. At A-EZ Out Bail Bonds in Dallas, TX, our team of experienced bail bond agents is available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year to help you handle all your bail related concerns including what to do if you miss an important court date.
One of the conditions for being released from prison is that you must appear promptly at all court dates. Unfortunately, life happens, and you might not be able to attend the appointment or you might have forgotten about it. If this has happened to you then chances are good that you’re wondering how to handle this frustrating situation.
A Bench Warrant Will Likely Be Issued
As soon as you don’t appear in court, a judge will issue a bench warrant in your name. If you get noticed by law enforcement while driving, or if you make contact with the police and they ask for your name, the warrant will be displayed, and you can be immediately arrested. For this reason, you do not want to leave this type of problem following you around. It is also important to note that there are no options for bail available when a bench warrant has been issued. The only way to clear this type of order is to appear before the judge. If you are arrested, you must wait in prison until you can appear before a judge. This can take at least several days.
Get Help from An Attorney Right Away
If you have not missed a court date but know you won’t be able to appear at an upcoming time, immediately contact a lawyer. For example, if you wake up sick, call their office. They might be able to shift your case from the list for that day and move it to another day, which can help you avoid dealing with an impending bench warrant.
If you miss a court date entirely, contact your attorney or public defender that is representing as soon as possible. It might be possible for them to send your case back to the calendar and, depending on the circumstances, withdraw the bench warrant until the trial date. If a lawyer can move your case on the calendar, you don’t have to worry about being arrested in the immediate future. In most cases, judges will revoke a bench warrant completely once you appear in court properly.
Make Sure to Speak with Your Bail Bond Agency
After contacting your attorney or lawyer, you want to contact the bail bonds company that helped you get released from jail. If a bench warrant is issued, the bail agency will probably ask one of its agents or a bounty hunter to take you into custody. In this case, they will immediately take you to jail if you can be located. However, many bail agents (including ours) are willing to work with you. If you tell the bail company why you missed court and that your lawyer has scheduled a new date, chances are they will back off and wait for the process to continue. It’s also important to note that bond companies can withdraw your agreement if you miss court. Even though this probably won’t happen if you miss a single court date, the chances of losing the support of your bail agency increase if you miss multiple dates during the process.