What Happens if I Miss My Court Date in St. Louis, MO?

If you are charged with a criminal offense, then you will be given a court date (you can find the court date on the copy of the citation that the police officer gives you, which is a yellowish, rectangular piece of paper that looks similar to a speeding ticket). But if you miss this court date, then the judge will issue a bench warrant for your arrest.

So if you have in fact missed your court date, then it is almost certain that there is an active warrant on your case. This means that if you are pulled over by the police in a routine traffic stop, the officer will run your driver’s license, discover that you have a warrant, and arrest you on the spot. If you are arrested, the officer will take you straight to the municipality that has jurisdiction over the warrant, and the only likely way that you will be released is if someone pays a large bond on your behalf (which could easily be hundreds of dollars).

But we have a much different plan in mind!! Our primary goal would be to get the warrant lifted. This would be done by requesting time in front of the judge, and asking that he or she recall the warrant. Once the warrant is taken care of, then the underlying matter (whether it is a criminal charge or a traffic ticket, or both) can be addressed.

So let’s look at an example: You are charged with possession of marijuana (less than 35 grams). You miss the initial court date (because you either forgot, or you could not physically get to the courthouse that night), and the judge issues a warrant. As stated above, we would first seek to get the warrant recalled. As soon as the warrant is lifted, a new court date will be set. At that new court date, we would try to do accomplish one of two things: 1) get the charges dismissed; or 2) get the charges reduced to some minor infraction (like “littering,” which does not even show up on your record). Either way, speaking with an experienced attorney to discuss your options is a far better alternative!!

The affordable St. Louis criminal defense attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company, have been helping people with their misdemeanor charges for over ten (10) years. Our goal is to make sure that the charges leveled against you do not stay on your permanent record, and do any lasting damage. And we want to do all of this at an affordable price. The fees for a typical misdemeanor case start at $450. But the initial consultation to discuss your legal issues is free of charge. So contact us today!!

We have two main locations: in the Central West End of St. Louis, at 1 North Taylor (on the corner of Taylor and Laclede), 63108; and in the Twin Cities of Festus / Crystal City, at 1000 Truman Blvd (Highway 61/67), 63019. The initial consultation is free of charge. So contact us today to learn more!!