On Bond? What To Try When Problems Arise With A Court Date

When an arrest takes place, it is important to remember that the defendant must still be considered innocent until their guilt is proven in court. However, this fact does not alter the terms that the defendant may have agreed to honor as part of their bail bond agreement. 

Failing to abide by the terms can mean having the bond revoked. The defendant can then be forced to stay in jail until their court date arrives. If you are under the terms of a bail bond agreement after being arrested and find that you may have to miss a court date or have already overlooked one, here are some things you can try to keep your bond from being revoked. 

Attempt to reschedule for an emergency situation.

Defendants who find that they have a serious conflict with an upcoming court date should always make every effort to keep their commitment. However, serious circumstances can make it difficult or impossible to attend court, such as a death or serious accident that affects yourself or an immediate family member. 

At the first indication that a serious problem has occurred that will affect your ability to attend your court date, defendants should notify their attorney to try and have the court date rescheduled. 

Defendants who are representing themselves will want to contact the court clerk immediately and request that the case be rescheduled. 

Be honest if a court date was missed by mistake.

When a defendant finds that they have simply overlooked their court date due to a calendar error or their own forgetfulness, it may still be possible to keep the bail bond in place. Capias or failure to appear warrants are commonly issued in these circumstances, but it may take a few days for the necessary paperwork to be issued. 

Defendants who contact the court directly or through their attorney as quickly as possible after the missed court date may be able to convince the court to consider rescheduling their appearance. 

Stay in touch with the bail bond agent.

Keeping your bail bond agent informed of any possible change in your situation can also be helpful. Your bail bond agent will likely have dealt with similar circumstances in the past and may be able to offer you helpful advice for avoiding a revocation.

In addition, your bail bond agent may be less likely to revoke the bail bond in cases where they are kept fully informed of the defendant's movements and whereabouts. 

To get specific answers to any bail bond question, contact a reputable bail bond agent in your area. 

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