Failure to Appear: Los Angeles
Eventually, it’s probably going to happen to you. You’ll get a ticket. Maybe a light was out and the police officer didn’t understand, maybe you were speeding way too fast, or maybe you were driving drunk. However you got it, you’ve gotten a ticket. Los Angeles is a big city, actually encompassing multiple smaller cities, and the penalties tend to be bigger in big cities. The cost of a ticket, however, is nothing compared to the price of failure to appear Los Angeles.
If you have a court date set that you are required to attend, then you have to go. Failure to appear Los Angeles is a serious matter that you cannot afford to risk.
Some of the penalties if you don’t show up include:
- A civil assessment of $300 added to your original fine
- Suspension of Your License
- Possible issue of a bench warrant for your arrest
Most tickets are in the range of $200 to $300 dollars, depending on the offense. Failure to appear Los Angeles effectively doubles the cost of your fine, putting you in an even worse situation than you were in before.
If you have your license suspended, your problems grow bigger still. If you get pulled over with a suspended license, you can expect another fine. The police will also have the authority to impound your car for up to 30 days, potentially leaving you without transportation.
A bench warrant is just what it sounds like – a warrant for your arrest. If the police locate you when you have a bench warrant with your name on it, they will arrest you and put you in jail.
Stay out of Trouble:
A failure to appear is extremely easy to avoid: just show up on your scheduled court date or have an attorney appear on your behalf. Your citation or ticket will identify the date you’re required to show up, so make sure you have transportation and be there. You can usually request a one-time extension to your court date as well, giving you additional time to get matters in order.
If you have failed to appear, don’t let the issue get any further out of control. Contact an attorney so you are properly aware of your rights, and get the matter resolved. This is not the kind of matter that will get better with time, so address it quickly.
