Connecticut Failure to Appear Lawyer
A Connecticut failure to appear lawyer could advocate on your behalf to explain the reason you missed court and to seek leniency from the judge. Working with an experienced and top-rated failure to appear lawyer now could prevent costly consequences down the road.
Are There Excusable Reasons for Missing Court?
Someone may be charged with failure to appear regardless of the reason they missed their court appearance. However, if you can prove that the absence was not undertaken willfully, then you may avoid a conviction for a failure to appear violation.
Often, people miss court for many reasons such as:
- Illness or the illness of a dependent they care for
- Lack of childcare or transportation
- Mistake as to date or location of a hearing
- Work obligations
- A move out of the jurisdiction
- Lack of effective legal counsel
- Fear of the legal process
The court may be more likely to believe a violation was unintentional if an apology and a reason for the absence are provided soon after the missed appearance. An experienced failure to appear attorney in Connecticut could intervene to show why your absence was not willful.
Does the Law Treat a Failure to Appear the Same for Felonies and Misdemeanors?
The Connecticut penal code contains two failure to appear statutes describing a misdemeanor version of the offense and a felony version. When you fail to appear when called to court after being charged with a misdemeanor or motor vehicle violation, then that failure to appear is considered a Class A misdemeanor according to Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) §53a-173. If you were released on bond after being charged with a felony and you fail to appear in court as required, then that failure to appear is treated as a Class D felony under C.G.S. §53a-172.
What Are the Consequences for Failing to Appear?
Felony failure to appear is categorized as a Class D felony. Those convicted face up to five years in prison and a fine as high as $5,000. Thankfully, a failure to appear lawyer in Connecticut can seek alternative sentencing arrangements should they be available to those convicted.
When a failure to appear is prosecuted as a misdemeanor, it is categorized at the most serious level of misdemeanors, Class A. Someone found guilty can be sent to jail for up to a year and required to pay a fine of up to $2,000.
Talk to a Connecticut Failure to Appear Attorney
Sometimes, when you miss a court appearance, the court may issue a warning letter assigning a new court date and explaining the ramifications of failure to appear. Other times, the court may issue an arrest warrant. These warrants do not expire and may be shared with law enforcement officials in other jurisdictions. It is never safe to assume that you are not at risk of arrest after missing a court date.
Intervention by an experienced Connecticut failure to appear lawyer could help bring a swift and painless resolution to the case. For a confidential consultation to learn how a criminal defense lawyer can help you avoid problems after a missed court appearance, call Mark Sherman Law.