Ive missed a court date for a misdemeanor criminal matter and its been more than 20 days, It is my understanding that there is already a bounty hunter looking for me so im accepting ill probably have to go to jail to resolve this. what i was wondering is if i can go to the court house and put my self on the docket for that day if i can see my judge first instead of turning myself in and waiting for them to set my date etc. normally thats a lengthy process and you end up sitting for a few months which im trying to avoid .
The best thing you can do is hire an attorney.
If you don’t have an lawyer, you cannot put yourself on the docket. It is possible for you to appear as an undocketed matter in open court before the same judge that issued the attachment and ask that judge to recall your attachment and serve you with another court date. That request would be considered an oral motion to recall your attachment. Many times, judges will recall your attachment, but hold you in contempt for failing to appear when summoned to do so. Although you could be imprisoned for your contempt of court, many judges levy a fine instead. Be prepared to be held in contempt and punished accordingly.
As an alternative to asking for a new court date, you could also decide to enter a plea deal to resolve all of your issues at once. Be sure to read the penalty provisions for the crime you intend to plea guilty of. Also, make sure you understand what collateral consequences come with your guilty plea. Certain crimes impact your ability to drive or possess a firearm.
Of course, it is always possible that the judge does not recall your attachment or that you are arrested prior to appearing in court. In those cases, the resolution to your problem will not come without jail time. Thus, you should probably hire an attorney.
