If you are charged with a criminal offense, you will be required to appear in court at a specified date and time. Most criminal offenses that are not traffic tickets will typically require you to make multiple appearances, all of which are mandatory. 
If you miss your court date, your situation could become more complex. Here’s what you should know and how to get the legal help you need after failure to appear. 

You May Be Charged With Failing to Appear In Court 

If you fail to appear in court, you may be charged with a second crime, normally a misdemeanor. That said, if the allegations you were supposed to address during your appearance are serious, neglecting to appear might result in you being charged with an additional felony, which has even stiffer consequences.

What About Extenuating Circumstances? 

In some cases, you may not have been able to make your court date no matter what. The following may be considered extenuating circumstances: 

Illness or a Death In the Family 

If an immediate family member became seriously ill and required your care, or a family member died, you may be excused from missing your previous court date and simply issued a new one. That said, you’ll generally need to be able to prove what happened with some kind of documentation such as medical records or a death certificate. 

You Weren’t Informed of the Requirement to Appear 

The state has the responsibility to ensure that you are properly served with a formal notice informing you of the crime you are charged with, when you are required to appear in court, and where at. If you do not receive this, you may not be held responsible for missing your hearing. Typically, the state must be able to show that you did receive the notice, such as if you signed for certified mail or were served by a process server. 

Get Help From a Seasoned Criminal Defense Attorney Now 

Okaloosa County criminal defense and family lawyer T. Martin Knopes understands how challenging it can be to face compounded penalties from missing a court date for one or more criminal charges. It’s critical that you take action as soon as you can to mount a strong, effective defense not only for failing to appear, but also for the original crimes you were accused of. 
Contact Attorney Knopes today for a consultation by calling (850) 683-0700.