Tips For What To Do If You Miss Your Court Date While Out On Bond

When you take advantages of a company that offers bail bond services, you will be able to go home and wait for your court date. But what happens if you don't show up on time for court? While this is never a good idea, it might be understandable if there were circumstances beyond your control. Here's what you need to do to avoid disaster if you do miss a court date while out on bail.

Study the Law in Your State

While missing a court date while on bail almost always means a warrant will be issued for your arrest, there may be some leeway depending on where you live. Some states or specific courts do offer a bit of leniency if you have a good excuse. If you have a legitimate reason for not coming to court, contact your court as soon as possible to work on a resolution.

Contact Your Bail Bond Company

While the court itself is the first place you should call, you'll also want to get in touch with the company that bailed you out. Failure to show up for court might be grounds for them to try and come after you financially for the full amount of the bail. But if you are proactive about communicating your situation, it's likely they'll be willing to assist you, especially if the court is doing the same.

Get Documentation

To be clear, this article is not implying that you can just randomly decide you don't want to go to court. If you want this situation to end well for you, you'll need clear documentation of what went wrong. Perhaps you were in the hospital, in which case you can get a copy of your medical records. If your car broke down or you were in a car accident, get a copy of the police report or get contact information for the towing company so the judge can call and verify that you are telling the truth.

The Longer You Wait, the Worse It Will Get

If you know you are going to miss your court date in advance, you can communicate to all involved parties before it happens. But if something goes wrong and you suddenly can't get there on the day of, don't try and drag the situation out. The longer you wait to call the court and your bond company, the more trouble you are likely going to be in. Your current bail will likely be revoked and you could find yourself facing new charges as well.

If you have any questions about the bail process, contact a local bail bonds company today, such as First Choice Bail Bonds.