Criminal Defense
I Accidentally Missed My Court Date: What Are My Next Steps?
It is not uncommon for people to miss court dates. It is not advised, but nevertheless not uncommon. It depends what type of hearing you missed (criminal, civil, arraignment, trial, etc.), but regardless, the first thing you should do is call your lawyer. If you missed a hearing for a criminal or traffic proceeding, there is likely a capias (bench warrant) for your arrest. You will need to have your case brought back into court so the judge who ordered the arrest warrant can cancel it. If you missed a prove-up hearing on a civil matter, there is a good chance the judge ruled against you. The worst thing you can do after missing court it put it off. If you missed court, get your rear end to your atorney’s office and have he or she get you in front of a judge as soon as possible.