What to do if You Skip Bail or Miss Your Court Date

Having to appear in court is a stressful scenario. For many people, it is an intimidating and new experience, which makes it even more distressing. In some cases, individuals who are expected to appear in court will miss their court date, leading to a series of events that can have dire consequences. The following information is extended by Free at Last Bail Bonds, in the hope of helping individuals know what to do if they have missed their court date.

What is “Skipping Bail”?

When a person fails to show up for a hearing after having been bailed out of jail, he or she is said to have “skipped bail.” The punishments of such an action can be severe and can include a new criminal charge, significant fines or even the revocation of release from jail. In some situations involving serious criminal charges, the individual can be forced to remain jailed through the duration of his or her trial. Also, the company that issued your bail might send out a bounty hunter to retrieve the value of that investment.

A Matter of Intent, or Why Intent Matters

When a person fails to show up for an assigned court date, the response of the court will usually depend on the intent behind the action. Intent can be interpreted differently from one state to the next, and even from one courtroom to the next. There are cases in which virtually no excuse will be accepted for a missed court appearance. In other instances, individuals have successfully convinced the court that they did not intend to miss their court date, and simply had the matter rescheduled. Having a skilled lawyer present such an argument is always the best course of action.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive

As soon as you are aware that you have missed your court date, take steps to fix the situation. That most often involves contacting an attorney for guidance. Missing a hearing for a minor civil dispute is a far different matter than skipping bail on a serious criminal charge. Your attorney will know the best way to proceed. As with so many things in life, getting in front of the problem is a far better approach than simply avoiding the issue and hoping for the best.

At Free at Last Bail Bonds, we take pride in the service that we provide to our customers. We understand that we offer a service that no one wants to seek out in their lives, but that is an absolute necessity in certain cases. We strive to reunite families as quickly as possible and to treat all of our customers with the level of respect that they deserve. Feel free to contact us at any time with questions or concerns about the bail bond process, or about our services in general.