What Happens if I Have to Skip a Mandatory Court Date

One of the most important things you must do when you’ve been released from jail on a bail bond is to attend all of your mandatory court dates. Failing to miss a single court date is grounds for your bail bond being revoked and an arrest warrant to be issued. In addition to having a warrant out for your arrest, you’ll be charged with a failure to appear in court which will make bail bonds agencies reluctant to work with you in the future.

But what if you have no choice and simply can’t attend your court appointment?

Your court appointments need to be your number one priority in life. They’re more important than work, more important than any relationship drama you’re going through, and to a certain extent, they are more important than most illnesses you might develop while you’re out on bail.

The good news is that most employers will be willing to give you the day off when you tell them you have a court appointment. Yes, you may have to tell them why you need the day off and no, they probably aren’t going to offer you paid time off for the experience. Most importantly, you need to give your employer plenty of advance warning that you have a court date.

An arrest and court date puts a great deal of strain on a relationship. We’ve had many people report that they missed a court date because they were fighting with a significant other. While we understand that your personal relationships are important, at this point, your legal situation is even more important. No matter what drama you and your significant other are going through, you’re going to have to learn how to put your emotions in check long enough for you to make it through whatever court process is on your schedule for the day. If you and your significant other had something important scheduled for that day, you’re going to have to rebook it.

A common cold or an injury you suffered a few days ago isn’t going to be a good enough reason for a judge or a bail bonds agency to forgive you for not going to court. If you do have a health problem that makes it difficult to attend court in person, contact the court clerk as soon as possible and see if it would be possible to handle your court appointment virtually. If you’re seriously injured, they may even agree to postpone the date until a time when you’re well enough to attend.

If something, such as a serious car accident while you were on the way to the courthouse, resulted in you missing your court date, the first thing you should do is contact the court and let them know what happened. Be prepared to show proof that you were genuinely and unexpectedly incapacitated and that you reached out to them as soon as possible. The second thing you must do is alert the bail bonds agency you’re working with and let them know about your current situation.

Have questions about the California bail program and how bail bonds work? You can click the Chat Now link or call 1-559-688-0229 for answers.

Tips for Communicating with your Bail Bonds Agent

You already know that communication is the key to a highly successful life relationship. What you might not realize is that the same is true when it comes to your relationship with your bail bonds agent. The better you are about connecting with your bail bond agent and alerting them to changes in your legal and personal circumstances that could impact your bail bond agreement the better.

The grounds for good communication should be laid as soon as you first connect with Bulldog Bail Bonds in Fresno and start to form a bail bonds relationship. Key things to discuss as early as the initial consultation include:

✦ How much your fee will be
✦ If you’re eligible for a 20% bail bond discount
✦ If you’ll need to make zero-interest payment plans
✦ How to set up the payment plan so that it seamlessly works into your budget
✦ The terms of your bail
✦ The various issues outlined in the bail bond contract
✦ If you’ll need a co-signer
✦ If collateral is needed

In most cases, there is very little reason to stay in contact with your bail bonds agent once you’ve been released from jail but there are always exceptions. Examples of issues you should contact your bail bonds agent about while you’re out on bail include:

✦ If you’ve done something to violate the terms of your bail
✦ If there’s going to be a problem with your bail bonds payment
✦ If you’ve suddenly experienced a change in your employment
✦ When you’ve suddenly experienced a change in residence
✦ If you’ve learned that you’re about to be arrested for something else

While we don’t usually have much reason to stay in constant touch with your clients, we do urge you to touch base with us whenever you have any questions, no matter how big or small they may seem, about your bail bond. We’re available 24/7. A live bail bond expert is always available so don’t hesitate to give us a call no matter what time of the day or night it is.

We would far prefer that you contact us with a minor question than to be surprised by something major that could have been averted with good communication.

Our willingness to work closely with our clients and stay in communication with them is just one of the reasons you should contact Bulldog Bail Bonds in Fresno Agency. Additional reasons to contact us when you or a loved one has been arrested include:

✅ 0% Interest payment plans
✅ 20% Discount
✅ Phone approvals
✅ Online approvals
✅ 24/7 availability
✅ Easy to understand bail bond contracts
✅ The ability to connect with a live bail bond rep rather than an answering service
✅ No hidden fees
✅ No collateral for working signers
✅ Outstanding customer service