People miss court for a variety of reasons. A lot of times they don’t receive the notice in the mail that tells them when and where to go. Sometimes they go to the wrong courthouse, just plain forget, or the unexpected comes up and they just can’t make it. When you miss court it is common for judges to issue a bench warrant. A bench warrant is an order from the judge directing the police to arrest you on sight and hold you until you can explain to the judge why you missed your court date. In Miami, you can still get a bond on misdemeanors, but for felonies you have to wait until the next weekday and talk to the judge.
There is really no way of knowing if the police are going to come to your house and pick you up or if you will get arrested the next time the police pull you over when you fail to completely stop at a stop sign. To avoid going to jail, (or at least reduce your chances) you need to call the judge and get the bench warrant removed. It’s usually best to hire a lawyer, even if you don’t have enough money to hire one to represent you on the underlying charges. There is a lot of value in ensuring you won’t spend the night in jail or have to beg family to come to the jail and post your bond. Even worse, if you are a single parent, there is a strong chance that your minor children will be sent to DCF custody.
When you do finally make it in front of the judge, you are going to have to have to explain why you missed court and why you should be allowed to stay out of custody while you prepare your defense. A good excuse can be the difference between being forced to plea your case out right away or taking more time to prepare the necessary defenses.