Greenville Failure to Appear Lawyer

When a person fails to appear for a scheduled court date, prosecutors and courts will not take that lightly. There are additional criminal penalties associated with failing to appear. These additional penalties can be very serious and may subject you to increased jail time, fines, or other conditions of supervision. Sometimes, a failure to appear charge may have resulted from something outside of your control, or was simply a mistake. No matter the circumstance, you deserve legal help from a knowledgeable defense attorney against these criminal charges. An experienced Greenville failure to appear lawyer is ready to discuss the facts of your case and help you build an effective defense.

Understanding Failure to Appear Charges in South Carolina

The type of scheduled event that a defendant failed to appear at will greatly impact the type of penalties they may face. For some types of events, such as court dates for non-criminal matters, child support hearings, traffic violations, or other low-level hearings, the issuance of a bench warrant may be all that results. In many cases, with proper representation, these matters can be resolved without any additional charges after an arrest or voluntary appearance on the bench warrant.

For these lower-level hearings, what may occur is a finding of contempt of court. A contempt charge may result in additional penalties for the defendant, such as fines, jail time, or other conditions. A defendant is allowed to defend against contempt charges with the assistance of qualified legal counsel.

Missed Appearances in Felony and Misdemeanor Cases

When a defendant fails to appear in scheduled court hearings for felonies or misdemeanors, these are typically treated more seriously. The penalties for missing a scheduled court date in these situations is typically a fine or a jail sentence. Commonly, a failure to appear in a felony case will be more severe than in a misdemeanor case. However, all of this subject to the discretion of the court.

How the situation unfolds has a lot to do with how the case is explained and defended. In situations that were out of the defendant’s control, and where this is properly proven, courts tend to take a much more forgiving attitude. It takes proper evidence to convince a court in many situations, so a defendant should have a skilled failure to appear attorney with them when defending their case.

Failure to Appear in Bail and Own Recognizance Cases

If a person is released on their own recognizance or on bail, and they later fail to appear, this can result in additional penalties. If found guilty of a failure to appear for a misdemeanor whose penalty could result in a jail sentence of at least one year, the penalties could include:

• A maximum fine of up to $1,000
• A jail term of up to one year

If a person fails to appear while on their own recognizance or while on bail in felony cases, the penalties are more severe. A person could face:

• A maximum fine of up to $5,000
• A maximum prison term of up to five years

All of these penalties are serious and deserve appropriate representation by a skilled criminal defense attorney.

Talk to a Failure to Appear Attorney in Greenville to Defend Your Case

Failure to appear charges are serious. Not only do you face the penalties associated with failure to appear, which can be serious, a history of failure to appear can make it difficult to get bail or release in the future. An experienced Greenville failure to appear lawyer is prepared to defend your case and protect your rights. Contact us today.