Washington DC Failure to Appear

Missing a court date is a serious matter. A DC failure to appear charge can have an immediate and significant impact on your pending case and your freedom. Whether you have an outstanding bench warrant for failing to appear or if you have already been arrested and need an advocate in your corner, DC attorney Jason Kalafat can work with you.

When a judge sets a court date, the best thing you can do is show up. The date may have slipped your mind or something might have come up. A missed a court date results in a bench warrant that can be immediately issued for your arrest and tack on additional criminal charges.

When a judge allows your release on bond in the midst of a criminal case, he or she does so because he or she does not believe you are a “flight risk”. In other words, the judge has some level of confidence that you will return to court when you are directed to. Failing to show could lead to serious consequences. If you are out on bond and fail to appear, your bond will be revoked and a warrant will be issued. Unless you work with a DC criminal defense attorney to rectify the situation, you could spend the rest of your case behind bars, having proved to the judge that you are not able to show up when directed.

If your original charge was a traffic offense, you risk the loss of your license. Lost driving privileges, a warrant for your immediate arrest, and a new criminal charge of failure to appear are all consequences that can cause serious stress, particularly when you have a current case already pending.

A defense attorney can help you minimize the impact of your missed court date. If you have an active bench warrant, avoiding it will not make it go away. Contact attorney Jason Kalafat today to discuss the best way to handle your latest case.