What happens if I do not appear for my court date?

When a person fails to appear for a scheduled court date, a warrant is issued. The defendant, the person charged, may be arrested and may be required to post a bond and another court date will be set. If a defendant knows ahead of time that he or she cannot attend court at the scheduled time, the defendant may request a continuance. The defendant must appear unless the continuance is granted by a judicial officer. The defendant may contact his or her attorney, if one has been appointed or retained, or appear as soon as possible in court to ask the judge to quash (cancel) the warrant and to reset the court date. The judge decides whether to require bond.