If you are accused of a crime, even if it's as trivial as a traffic ticket, the court will send you a summon to appear in court. It is a legal document that orders you to appear in court on a given date and time. However, if you fail to testify in court on your appointed date, the judge will issue an arrest warrant, and you will forfeit the bond you paid.

What To Do If You Receive A Complaint Document?

Summons and complaint documents are enforceable by law, implying you must reply to the summons on the specified day and in the manner stated in the document. Remember that you might receive a summon and complaint in weeks or even months after committing a crime. Some crimes, like DUI, DWI charges, domestic violence, and more, are simple to solve instantly, while others require more investigation before cops may file charges.

Another issue to consider is the potential of missing your summons. If your address with the Department of Licensing is inaccurate, the court may send it to the wrong address. Even if it is the case, you must still appear in court.

The Consequences Of Not Responding To A Court Summon?

You will violate the law if you do not answer a summon within the appropriate time frame. Even though your summons was sent to the incorrect address, you must respond by the deadline specified on the document. If you do not file on time, the court may take any of these actions — it may determine the matter in favor of the defendant, which you cannot lawfully oppose, or the court may issue an arrest warrant for you.

In exceptional situations, you may file your response after the time limit specified in the summons. To extend your deadline, you must obtain permission from the judge sitting over the summoning court by filing a formal request to submit your response late. Here is when a criminal defense attorney comes in. Consider consulting with an experienced criminal defense lawyer to handle your court case while providing you with the best possible solution.

You Will Forfeit The Bond You Placed

If you are out on bond and fail to appear in court, you'll breach your bail terms, resulting in the forfeiture of the bond you've deposited. The court will arrest you and require you to post the bail again, generally in a much higher amount. Seek assistance from the best agents of Redding Bail bonds to help you file the bond again. In addition to the judge issuing an arrest warrant and forfeiting your bail money, you may be charged with the separate felony of failure to appear in court.

What Should You Do If You Missed Your Court Date?

Attending court proceedings is not something pleasant. Unfortunately, if you have been charged with a crime, you cannot overlook it. Also, if you fail to appear in court, the repercussions will be even more severe than they were before. However, in such cases, your attorney may go before the judge and explain the mistake, and the judge will remove the warrant. If you have already missed your court date, call your attorney and explain the reason for missing out the court date. The sooner your lawyer approaches the court to resolve the matter, the more likely the judge will withdraw the warrant. But, of course, the best thing to do is to avoid missing your court date entirely.