Parker County Failure to Appear Lawyer

A charge of failure to appear may sound very minor, but it could be a serious crime in Parker County. A warrant for someone’s arrest may be issued if a person fails to appear in court when ordered, even if the appearance was over something as small as a traffic ticket.

The penalties for a failure to appear charge might be significant and may add to the penalties you are already facing for a different charge. This may even result in many more years in jail in the most severe cases.

Anyone charged with failure to appear might need to contact our team of Parker County failure to appear lawyers right away. There are defenses available for this charge, and an experienced attorney may know how to use them to an accused party’s potential benefit.

Failure to Appear Charges in Parker County

When a person is charged with a crime in Parker County, they may be given several dates for court appearances. If the person accused has already posted bail for release and then does not show up in court at a later date, the court may likely assume they have jumped bail and charge them with failure to appear.

The penalties for failure to appear may vary depending on the original charges a person faced. If their alleged crime was a felony, any related failure to appear may also be considered a felony. If the crime was a misdemeanor, the individual may face additional misdemeanor charges.

Anyone who jumped bail when they failed to appear in court would likely have a warrant issued for their arrest. They may also be forced to forfeit any funds that were used to post that bail and it is unlikely they would be allowed to post bail again.

When an individual fails to appear for a court date, the judge may take a few factors into consideration before determining what the penalty for doing so would be. A judge would also consider if the individual has failed to appear for court in the past, the reason for their absence, and any danger the individual may pose to society in addition to the original crime. While our failure to appear lawyers may be able to negotiate for lesser penalties in Parker County, a comprehensive defense based around other factors may be more effective.

Defenses a Person Could Use

The only real defense for failing to appear could be to have a good reason why appearing was impossible or unreasonable at the date and time requested. There are a few such rationales that might be deemed acceptable in that regard by the court.

When an individual is physically unable to appear in court, like if they were hospitalized at the time or incarcerated in another jurisdiction, a failure to appear charge may not be appropriate. If there was a death in the individual’s immediate family, this could also prevent a failure to appear charge.

Even when the individual was physically able to appear in court, there may still be some defenses that might be used. If the defendant was not properly notified of the court date, they may not be considered guilty of failing to appear. If their Parker County lawyer was not able to attend the court hearing, they also may not be charged with a failure to appear.

It may typically be important for defendants to contact the court as soon as possible if they know they have failed to appear for a court date. The original case may range from theft to domestic violence or anything else. If a person misses a court date and fails to inform authorities on time, there may be serious consequences.

The sooner the court is contacted, the more likely it is that a judge may seriously consider the reasons for failing to appear.

Speaking to a Parker County Failure to Appear Attorney

Being charged with failure to appear may have very serious consequences in Parker County and could even result in an additional arrest. There may be ways to beat these charges, and an accomplished attorney may represent your best chance at doing so by preparing a proper defense.

If you were charged with failing to appear, speak to a Parker County failure to appear lawyer as soon as possible. While the situation may seem hopeless, our steadfast legal team has the knowledge and experience to fight the charge and give you the best possibility of a successful outcome.