Source: https://medvinlaw.com/failure-to-appear-on-a-misdemeanor-or-felony-charge-in-virginia-a-criminal-defense-lawyers-explanation-of-charge-19-2-128/
Timestamp: 2020-02-24 04:58:24
Document Index: 22766668

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 18', '§ 18', '§ 46', '§ 18', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 9', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 15', '§ 19']

Failure to Appear on a Misdemeanor or Felony Charge in Virginia: A criminal defense lawyer’s explanation of charge 19.2-128 – MEDVIN LAW
Failure to Appear on a Misdemeanor or Felony Charge in Virginia: A criminal defense lawyer’s explanation of charge 19.2-128
FAILURE TO APPEAR IS A VIRGINIA MISDEMEANOR & FELONY OFFENSE
Forgetting to show up in a Virginia court or skipping it on purpose is a crime. If you were supposed to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge, then not showing up is a Class 1 misdemeanor offense. If you were supposed to be there on a felony charge, the penalty for not showing up is a Class 6 felony. Penalties include jail time, revocation of bond, and other consequences in your pending charges.
If you were supposed to be in court under subpoena as a witness or a victim in a case and you did not go, then you can be charged with a misdemeanor as well.
VIRGINIA LAW ON FAILURE TO APPEAR
§ 19.2-128. Penalties for failure to appear.
B. Any person (i) charged with a felony offense or (ii) convicted of a felony offense and execution of sentence is suspended pursuant to § 19.2-319 who willfully fails to appear before any court as required shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.
§ 19.2-73. Issuance of summons instead of warrant in certain cases.
B. If any person under suspicion for driving while intoxicated has been taken to a medical facility for treatment or evaluation of his medical condition, the officer at the medical facility may issue, on the premises of the medical facility, a summons for a violation of § 18.2-266, 18.2-266.1, 18.2-272 or 46.2-341.24 and for refusal of tests in violation of subsection A of § 18.2-268.3 or subsection A of § 46.2-341.26:3, in lieu of securing a warrant and without having to detain that person, provided that the officer has probable cause to place him under arrest. The issuance of such summons shall be deemed an arrest for purposes of Article 2 (§ 18.2-266 et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2.
§ 19.2-73.1. Notice of issuance of warrant or summons; appearance; failure to appear.
In any misdemeanor case or in any class of misdemeanor cases and in a Class 5 or Class 6 felony case, the chief of police of the city or county or his designee, or the sheriff or deputy sheriff of the county, if the county has no police department, in which the case is pending may notify the accused of the issuance of the warrant or summons and direct the accused to appear at the time and place directed for the purpose of the execution of the summons or warrant. However, the issuing judicial officer may direct the execution of such process prior to any such notification. If the accused does not appear, then the warrant or summons shall be executed and returned as provided by § 19.2-76.
§ 19.2-73.2. Law-enforcement officers to issue subpoenas; penalty.
Law-enforcement officers as defined in § 9.1-101 and state police officers, in the course of their duties, in the investigation of any Class 3 or Class 4 misdemeanor or any traffic infraction, may, within seventy-two hours of the time of the offense, issue a subpoena to any witness to appear in court and testify with respect to any such criminal charge or traffic infraction brought against any person as a result of such investigation. The return of service thereof shall be made within seventy-two hours after service to the appropriate court clerk. A subpoena so issued shall have the same force and effect as if issued by the court.
Any person failing to appear in response to a subpoena issued as provided in this section shall be punished as provided by law.
§ 19.2-74. Issuance and service of summons in place of warrant in misdemeanor case; issuance of summons by special policemen and conservators of the peace.
A. 1. Whenever any person is detained by or is in the custody of an arresting officer for any violation committed in such officer’s presence which offense is a violation of any county, city or town ordinance or of any provision of this Code punishable as a Class 1 or Class 2 misdemeanor or any other misdemeanor for which he may receive a jail sentence, except as otherwise provided in Title 46.2, or for offenses listed in subsection D of § 19.2-81, or an arrest on a warrant charging an offense for which a summons may be issued, and when specifically authorized by the judicial officer issuing the warrant, the arresting officer shall take the name and address of such person and issue a summons or otherwise notify him in writing to appear at a time and place to be specified in such summons or notice. Upon the giving by such person of his written promise to appear at such time and place, the officer shall forthwith release him from custody. However, if any such person shall fail or refuse to discontinue the unlawful act, the officer may proceed according to the provisions of § 19.2-82.
3. Any person so summoned shall not be held in custody after the issuance of such summons for the purpose of complying with the requirements of Chapter 23 (§ 19.2-387 et seq.) of this title. Reports to the Central Criminal Records Exchange concerning such persons shall be made after a disposition of guilt is entered as provided for in § 19.2-390.
B. Special policemen of the counties as provided in § 15.2-1737, special policemen or conservators of the peace appointed under Chapter 2 (§ 19.2-12 et seq.) of this title and special policemen appointed by authority of a city’s charter may issue summonses pursuant to this section, if such officers are in uniform, or displaying a badge of office. On application, the chief law-enforcement officer of the county or city shall supply each officer with a supply of summons forms, for which such officer shall account pursuant to regulation of such chief law-enforcement officer.
This entry was posted in Virginia Criminal Law and tagged 19.2-128, Failure to Appear in Fairfax County, FAILURE TO APPEAR ON FELONY OFFENSE, FAILURE TO APPEAR ON MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE.