Failure To Appear In Court

The identifying characteristic of Florida Man is that he commits minor criminal offenses in outlandish ways.  The most recent manifestation of Florida Man to go viral online is Joseph Malinowski, who got arrested for trespassing at a dock in Tampa, and is also facing criminal charges for two counts of failure to appear in court.  What makes this a Florida Man story is that failure to appear in court is usually a boring crime; it is the province of habitual child support avoiders and of Murphy’s Law magnets who just happened to get a flat tire on the way to the courthouse for a scheduled hearing.  Malinowski’s case was different, though.  Instead of going to court, he was on his sailboat, and he stayed there throughout Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.  You were probably doing something less interesting when you missed a court appearance, but you could still face legal consequences.  If you missed a court date, or if the court has ordered you to appear on a day when you cannot make it, contact a Tampa criminal defense lawyer.

What Can Go Wrong If You Miss a Court Appearance?

An order to appear in court is not a suggestion.  Being absent from a hearing or trial where the court has ordered your presence is much more serious than being absent from class in school.  If you do not show up to a court date, the judge can issue a bench warrant.  Pursuant to the warrant, the police can arrest you wherever they find you and bring you to court to deal with the matter that led to the original court date.  The state may or may not file charges for failure to appear in court.  The offense of failure to appear is a misdemeanor or a felony depending on whether the original offense of which you are accused was a misdemeanor charge or a felony charge.  If you get convicted of felony failure to appear, the maximum sentence is five years in prison.

How to Avoid Legal Trouble If You Cannot Make It to a Court Date

If you were planning to attend a friend’s wedding or out of town or see a doctor about a non-emergency health issue, a court date forces you to change your plans; it is easier to reschedule a doctor’s appointment than a court date.  There are some circumstances that the court realizes are important enough to warrant rescheduling a court appearance, though.  For example, you can reschedule a court appearance if you are hospitalized, or if a member of your immediate family is in the hospital.  You can also reschedule your court date if it conflicts with another court date or if you are incarcerated in another jurisdiction.

Contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Bryant Scriven

A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges related to missing a court appearance that you were required to attend.  Contact Scriven Law in Tampa, Florida to schedule a consultation.

Source:

nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lieutenant-dan-gained-fame-riding-hurricanes-boat-arrested-florida-rcna176188