The courts expect you to be present for your court date at the time specified. Generally a court will only accept certain excuses for not appearing and you must prove those excuses. If you do not appear in court when required, the court may issue a warrant for your arrest, your driver's license may be suspended, additional fines may be assessed and even jail time may be ordered.

Simply call the office of your Deputy Public Defender and give your name and case number to the receptionist. In most circumstances, our staff will be able to tell you the precise location of your particular court and give you directions how to get there. (Click here for a list of our offices.) Another way to locate your court is to call the Deputy Public Defender who is representing you in your criminal case. Back to Top

Several thing happen if you fail to appear for a court date. For minor traffic violations where you have not paid the fine, your drivers license will automatically be suspended. Driving While Suspended for failing to appear in court is subject to a 60-day jail term and a $500 fine. For major traffic violations, the judge may issue a bench warrant for your arrest.

Firstly, a bench warrant is issued for the person's arrest by the judge. The defendant's name is then entered into a nation wide data base (NCIC) as a fugitive. Also, the Bail Agency is informed of the defendants non-appearance and obligated by law to arrest individual.

Failure to appear could result in a Misdemeanor Judge issuing a capias for your arrest. You may forfeit the bond you posted, thus losing your money or collateral. Should you be arrested for failure to appear, you may be held in jail with or without a bond.

If the plaintiff appears and obtains a writ of restitution, most of the time you will be given 7 days to vacate the premises.

You will go to court to tell what you know about someone who is accused of breaking a law or hurting someone. It is a crime to break the law and hurt someone. You may have seen the crime or know something about it. That makes you a witness, and a witness' job is to testify in court about the truth of what happened. You may be the person who was hurt by the crime, so you are a very important witness.

Follow the instructions included with your subpoena. If you still have questions call our victim/witness coordinator at 618-277-3892.

No, your paperwork will be filed into your local court and it is this that appears before the judge for his signature. You will then be issued with a bankruptcy order and an official receiver will be appointed to administer your case. Often you will not even have to attend an interview in person with the Official Receiver but a 10 minute telephone call is all that is required to finalise the bankruptcy. (back to top)

A bench warrant is issued for the person's arrest and the person's name will appear in police bulletins as a fugitive. Although specifics vary depending on the jurisdiction, generally the court also authorizes the bail agency arrest authority for the individual as well. The bail agency normally calls the person's home, work, and other references to try to find the fugitive and convince them to appear.

The first court date set for your ticket is called an arraignment. You are expected to be in Municipal Court on the date and time set for your case on the ticket. At the arraignment, the Municipal Judge will read you your rights and will read the charges against you. If you plead "guilty", the Municipal Judge will most likely assess a fine at that time. If you plead "not guilty", the Municipal Judge will set the case for a trial date in the near future.

By acting as the "indemnitor", you have agreed to be financially responsible for the full amount of the bail. If the court declares that the bond is forfeited due to nonappearance, you are obligated to pay the full amount of the bail bond.

The bond is forfeited and has to be paid to the court. We receive notice from the court, contact the defendant and cosigner, if possible, and explain what has to be done to save at least a portion of the bail funds. If the defendant can be contacted, they are told to turn themselves in to the court and request the bond be reinstated. If they cannot be located or refuse to turn themselves in, we work with police, sheriffs and Bounty Hunters to return them to custody.