What happens if you miss court for a traffic ticket?

Say you do miss court for a traffic ticket, or you think that you may miss court. You are going to be wondering what happens if you fail to appear in court for a traffic ticket.

At the end of the day, you may face consequences for missing court. We will look more specifically at what happens if you miss court for a traffic ticket below. Keep in mind that should you know about a scheduling conflict before the date, you can reach out to the court to see about rescheduling.

What Happens if I Miss Court for a Traffic Ticket?

So, what happens if I miss court for a traffic ticket, you ask yourself.

If you do not appear in court, you may find yourself facing a Failure to Appear from the judge. This can result in Failure to Appear fees and a bench warrant against you. A bench warrant can be issued by the judge if you fail to appear, and it is an order to appear in court under penalty of arrest. This means that if you do not show up to speak with a judge or magistrate of your own accord, you could be arrested.

A bench warrant is typically issued when an individual has not adhered to conditions of a pre-existing offense like a court appearance, fine payments, or complying with a court order. And as a bench warrant is a public document, it will appear on background checks even after you respond to it.

If you miss your traffic court date, a bench warrant is the best result you can expect to face.

Should you miss your court date for any reason, get in contact with a traffic defense attorney from Maher Law Firm who can represent you. We are familiar with the procedures and complications that come with bench warrants and will be able to assist you.

Are There Additional Penalties After a Bench Warrant?

There are additional penalties that a judge may add or impose on you if you miss your court date.

1. They can add an additional fine tied to the Failure to Appear.
2. They are able to suspend your driver’s license. That suspension will apply to your non-commercial license and a commercial license if you have one.

Common Reasons For A Missed Court Appearance

While we have covered what happens if you fail to appear in court for a traffic ticket, we want to take a short look at some of the common reasons that someone might miss court.

Some common reasons an individual might miss court include:

• Medical emergencies
• Unable to find childcare for the date
• The court never sent a notice
• A change in address occurred and notice was never received
• Work or school overlapping with court
• Mandatory travel for work

It is important to keep in mind that it is your responsibility to contact the court to let them know that you will be missing your scheduled time as soon as you know of any potential conflict.

You can also work with a Columbus traffic defense attorney. They will be able to handle rescheduling a court date as well as soon as you let them know about any kind of scheduling conflict.

Get In Contact with A Columbus Traffic Defense Attorney

Working with a Columbus traffic defense attorney as soon as you think you may miss your traffic court date or if you have already missed the court date is important. You can reach out to the experienced team of traffic attorneys at Maher Law Firm, LLC today for a free consultation.

Each consultation is completely confidential, and we take on most cases on a flat fee basis. You can reach us today by calling us at 614-205-2208 or by contacting us online.