What constitutes a "failure to appear"?

A "failure to appear" is specifically defined as a situation where a defendant does not attend scheduled court appearances. This can lead to various legal consequences, including the issuance of a bench warrant for the defendant's arrest or the potential forfeiture of any bail that has been posted.

Being late to court does not meet the same legal threshold as failing to appear altogether, as courts typically allow for some grace period before considering someone as having failed to appear. Additionally, if a defendant is arrested before the court date, this would not be categorized as failing to appear since they are in custody and cannot attend due to that situation. Lastly, hiring a private investigator is not related to court attendance at all and would not be relevant to the definition of failing to appear. Thus, the definition clearly aligns with the situation where a defendant is absent from the scheduled court proceedings, confirming that this understanding is essential for those involved in the bail bondsman process.