Don’t ignore court dates in Alpharetta

The Alpharetta City Council recently approved a new failure to appear ordinance. The Municipal Court will now be able to issue warrants for arrest for anyone for failing to appear before the court and to bring an additional charges and violations as a function for failing to appear at a designated court session.

The new ordinance reads in part, that “it shall be unlawful for any defendant lawfully summoned to answer charges in the municipal court to either fail, neglect, or refuse to appear at the time and place specified in the summons or fail to provide a satisfactory explanation for this absence.”

The missed trial will likely be postponed while the court issues an arrest warrant. Police will then bring the defendant before the court to answer both the initial charges and the charge for failing to appear at trial. The defendant will remain in custody until brought before the court, “unless the defendant posts bond for appearance, as provided by law.”