Failure to appear

[DSKat]

What is the name of your state? IL

After being "harassed" by the local village ordinance code officer, I received a summons to circuit court. Unfortunately I wrote down the wrong date on my calendar so I missed my court date.

The summons plainly states that failure to appear will result in a warrant for arrest. Where do I go from here?

I can prove that this is a result of harassment (discrepancies in dates, codes, etc.). But I don't know if I should just go "turn myself in", try to contact the circuit court, or what.

Help.

Thanks~

 

[Son of Slam]

Where do I go from here?

Jail.

 

[DSKat]

Well thank you for such a helpful response. I'm much more enlightened now about who/where I need to call first to get this mess straightened out.

 

[HomeGuru]

Another happy poster.

 

[stephenk]

how is it harassment that you wrote down the wrong hearing date?

 

[DSKat]

The case itself stems from harassment. I was going to post in one of the other forums here to see if I actually had a counter-suit case.

I freely admit it was my own stupid mistake for writing down the wrong date. What I'd like to know is how to fix this mess now. Unless you count a traffic ticket 7 years ago, I've never been in legal trouble, so I really am clueless as to where to start.

Do I assume a warrant has been issued, call the local police station, turn myself in, and hope for the best?

Do I call the circuit court and try to get a new court date (hoping that a warrant hasn't been issued)? If so, who there do I call?

Am I going to need a lawyer? If I am, is it going to be possible in this type of case to have one appointed, since I cannot afford one? (Type of case being that I think I'm being taken to court for failure to comply with village code.)

Since I'm fairly sure I can prove harassment, can I counter sue? Will the same attorney handle both aspects of the case or will it be two separate cases and I'll need a different attorney?

I was really hoping someone would have some helpful advice.



Just a side note: Not everyone is an intentional criminal. After browsing through this forum, it seems as though that is the assumption here, and that the responses given are in a sarcastic, "you're just a dumb criminal you get what you deserve" tone. I certainly never thought I'd be labelled as such just because there's mold on my garage, but yet I am. :/

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

When the Bailiff called your name in court, and you failed to respond; i.e., you weren't there, then you can believe it's a sure bet that the judge ordered a Warrant for your arrest.

Rather than waiting for a cop to pull you over, arrest you, and placing you in handcuffs, and hauling you downtown for detention and finger printing, you can turn yourself in voluntarily. Then, you'll be fingerprinted and bail will be set. Bring your credit card and a friend.

IAAL

 

[DSKat]

I was really hoping that wasn't going to be the answer.

Any advice for the rest of my questions, or should I just wait and see what happens after a trip to the police station?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

I was really hoping that wasn't going to be the answer.

Any advice for the rest of my questions, or should I just wait and see what happens after a trip to the police station?

My response:

When you finally appear for your criminal arraignment, and you're assigned to a Public Defender, then you'll find out what to do, and what will happen to you. The answers to your questions vary by jurisdiction. It also depends on whether your judge is a "hangin' judge". You should hope to God your judge's last name isn't "Bean" - - if it is, you're screwed big time.

IAAL

 

[DSKat]

You should hope to God your judge's last name isn't "Bean" - - if it is, you're screwed big time.

IAAL

Thank you for the chuckle and for the advice.

 

[DSKat]

One last question...

I'm having trouble finding anyone that is available to go with me. Is it necessary to bring a friend? Why would I need to if I'm going to be posting my own bail?

Thanx~

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

One last question...

I'm having trouble finding anyone that is available to go with me. Is it necessary to bring a friend? Why would I need to if I'm going to be posting my own bail?

Thanx~

My response:

You're KILLING ME DSkat - - you're goddamned KILLING ME!

You don't know how long you're going to be in police station or even if you're going to be spending the night there in lockup. If so, the police take away everything from you, including cash, checks, and credit cards. Wouldn't it be nice to have a friend or relative with you so that - -

a. You can have someone go visit the bondsman with your money?

b. Drive you there and drive you back home, so that your car isn't parked for an extended period, and then get towed away, thus adding to your dilemma?


C'mon, think! Use some common sense!

IAAL

 

[DSKat]

okay ... that all makes sense. (told you I was clueless about the legal system ... lol)

I guess part of it is I'm just having trouble believing that something so ridiculous as mold on my garage is going this far. I can't believe the judge is going to be to happy about it either. Talk about a colossal waste of tax payer dollars. We've got hardened criminals roaming the streets and I'm going to jail for an accidental FTA over mold.

I'm still waiting for some guy to jump out and say "smile! you're on candid camera!" or "you are about to enter another dimension"


Thank you again for your patience and advice ... it is much appreciated