Failure to Appear

If you do not appear for court, the judge will issue a judgment nisi which does three things: A judgment nisi acts as an arrest warrant, a bond revocation and a scire facias requiring the surety and the bonding company to pay the full amount of the bond to the Sheriff. The police will arrest you on the warrant and hold you in jail without bond so the court can find you when your case comes up. The bonding company will also try to deliver you to the jail. Under some circumstances the Judgment NISI can be set aside and bond reinstated if there is good cause for not appearing in court.

Remember, it is your responsibility to keep on touch with your lawyer and your bonding company. Your first notice of court comes from the bonding company, not your lawyer.