Failure to Appear, NC Information

by John Van Schaik

Failure to Appear, NC Information

by John Van Schaik

by John Van Schaik

Failure to Appear, NCAre you dealing with a failure to appear in NC?

Failure to appear, NC, is an incredibly serious charge.  If you or a loved one are facing a crime, one of the most important things to do is appear in court. If a court date is missed, this will result in legal action. In addition to the original charge, the defendant is now facing a misdemeanor failure to appear charge. This sounds daunting, and it should be taken seriously, but there are ways you can be helped. Any defendant facing a failure to appear charge should work to fully cooperate with the law. This will make the charges and potential sentencing much easier on the defendant. Sometimes it can seem like the law is against you, but that is not the case. Where help can be given within the legal system, it will be. Your bondsman and attorney want to help.

What is failure to appear?

When bond is set for a defendant, they also receive a court date. It is up to the bond company to ensure that the defendant appears in court on that day. However, sometimes, this does not happen. If the defendant does not show up on their appointed day at the appointed time, they will be charged with a failure to appear. NC residents facing this charge should know that the best thing to do is surrender themselves and cooperate fully with the law. It is never a good idea to intentionally miss a court date to try to run. Times like this are very stressful, but attempting to elude the law will only make things worse.

Why do people miss court dates?

As you can imagine, sometimes it’s simply that life happens. Maybe the date just entirely slipped someone’s mind, and suddenly they find themselves apprehended due to an outstanding warrant. This is why being proactive about appearing in court is important. It is absolutely imperative that if you or someone you know have a court date set, this is an appointment that must be kept. Missing a court date, even if it was unintentional, does come with punishment. If you find yourself with a failure to appear, the NC judicial system will take it very seriously. A missed court appearance, or attempt to run, results in the defendant becoming a fugitive.

If you have a failure to appear, NC law does give you options

If it occurs to you that you have missed your court date, there are options available to you. If the defendant agrees to fully cooperate, their attorney can push for the warrant to be recalled. If the warrant is relatively old, it is possible in some cases for those charges to be dismissed. Regardless, agreeing to cooperate with the law is always the best option.

If you fail to appear, your bond is at stake

The agreement you made with your bond agency stated that if they posted your bail, you would appear in court. If you fail to hold up your end of the bargain, you have then forfeited your bond. This means that all the money posted on your behalf is gone, and it is now up to you to pay back the bond in full. However, there is still hope. In North Carolina, you have 150 days from your failure to appear to attempt to work things out with the bond company. If you are dealing with a failure to appear, don’t forget that there are still things you can do to help yourself.

Around the Clock Bail Bonds is always here to help

At Around the Clock Bail Bonds, we work 24/7 to help people in need. We have over 15 years of collective experience with bail bonds, and are open around the clock every day to extend that expertise to others. Take advantage of Around the Clock Bail Bonds. If you find yourself in legal trouble, we should be your first call.

Top