Darien Failure to Appear Lawyer

A Darien failure to appear lawyer can work to reduce or eliminate criminal penalties if you have missed a court appearance. If you’ve missed a court date, it is wise to reach out to an attorney as quickly as possible to avoid any unwanted repercussions.

How Can I Be Charged with a Failure to Appear?

Individuals in Darien may be charged with first or second-degree failure to appear if they were ordered to appear in court or required to meet with a probation officer and willfully miss the court date or probation meeting.

Only willful absences are violations of this statute. Therefore, a Darien attorney can work to present evidence to show that a failure to appear in court was caused by unavoidable circumstances and was therefore not willful.

What Constitutes a Failure to Appear in the First Degree?

Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) §53a-172 describes the felony version of this offense, which is labeled first-degree failure to appear. Someone commits failure to appear in the first degree when they miss a court appearance after being charged with or convicted of a felony offense.

First-degree failure to appear is a Class D felony. Those convicted can be sentenced to up to five years in prison and required to pay a fine of up to $5,000.

How is Missing a Court Date in the Second Degree Treated?

Second-degree failure to appear is a Class A misdemeanor. A person found guilty faces up to one year of imprisonment. The court can also impose a fine as high as $2,000. A lawyer in Darien could advocate for reduced penalties or a warning in a failure to appear case, but it is best to make the request voluntarily rather than waiting until police move in for an arrest.

Failure to appear in the second degree under C.G.S. §53a-173 occurs when someone fails to appear when called in connection with a misdemeanor charge. Someone who misses a court date involving a traffic offense punishable by incarceration may also be arrested and charged.

Contact a Darien Failure to Appear Attorney

If the court issues a bench warrant for failure to appear, that warrant can cause you to be arrested during a routine traffic stop or at any other time. The offense can even follow you to another jurisdiction.

A Darien failure to appear lawyer who understands how courts handle criminal offenses related to missed court appearances can devise a strategy calculated to reach the best outcome in your case. For a consultation to learn more about how a knowledgeable attorney can help you avoid the negative consequences of a missed court appearance, call Mark Sherman Law today.