When charged with a crime in Texas, a defendant may be given numerous dates for court appearances. When he or she fails to show up on an appointed date, a warrant could be issued for that person’s arrest. Those who have been bonded out of jail can be charged with failure to appear if they jump bail. This could result not only in a warrant, but forfeiture of the funds or property that was used to bail them out as well.
Failing to attend a court appearance can result in either felony or misdemeanor charges, depending on the circumstances. Some factors that will determine this are:
According to the Texas Penal Code, trial avoidance can result in jail time and monetary fines. If the court absence is part of a probationary agreement, the individual could also be charged with revocation of probation, and this could result in even more fines and jail time.
Although judges look harshly upon those who forget a court date in Houston, the law does recognize that there may be instances in which this is necessary. As such, there are some defenses available, which include but are not limited to:
These defenses will be considered carefully by a judge before a determination of guilt is made. Those who know they will be absent from a Houston court on a particular day should notify their attorney and/or court clerk ahead of time, as doing so can sometimes prevent charges from being brought.
There are so many instances where someone may need to miss his court date. Just because you were unable to make it to trail doesn’t mean you deserve to be punished. If you are facing possible contempt of court charges, then you need to get a hold of Brett A. Podolsky today by calling 713-227-0087.
