FAILING TO OBEY A COURT ORDER OR APPEAR FOR A HEARING
If you fail to appear for a court hearing or fail to follow an order of the Court, consequences will result.
- A warrant will be issued for your arrest;
- If applicable, your probation may be revoked;
- A $50 failure to appear or pay penalty will be assessed. Each additional failure to appear or pay can result in an additional $50 penalty.
- If applicable, the forfeiture of any posted bail or bond;
- If applicable to the charge, a $30 fee and a hold may be placed on your driver’s license by the Department of Motor Vehicles, resulting in the inability to renew your license and/or the cancelling of your driver’s license;
- Your wages may be garnished for failure to pay;
- You may be subject to referral to a collection agency; and
- Your credit rating could be negatively impacted if you fail to pay your fines and fees on time.
To verify the status of your case, you may access the court’s online case information.
CLEARING A WARRANT
If you have a warrant for your arrest, you have options for clearing the warrant.
- Turn yourself in to the Denver Police Department and be booked into jail. You will be brought before a Judge, but more than likely you will spend a night in jail;
- Post the full amount of the bond imposed and all required fees. To find the bond amount, you can look up your case online. You must go to the Bonding Office located on the first floor of the VanCise-Simonet Detention Center, 490 W. Colfax Avenue to pay the bond. You will be given a new court date to appear.
- Pay a warrant cancellation fee of $100 and receive a new appearance date. The $100 fee is nonrefundable. You can do this online or appear and pay the fee at the Clerk’s Office in Room 160 of the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse, 520 W. Colfax Avenue. This will cancel your warrant and get your case back on the Judge’s docket.
- Plead guilty and pay the total fine, costs, and $50 warrant fee if you failed to appear at arraignment on a payable case. Payable cases are park curfew, glass bottles prohibited – littering, public consumption of alcohol, failure to obey a posted sign in park, scalping tickets, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana under 2 ounces, and smoking prohibited. You can pay in person at 520 W. Colfax Avenue or online.
Note: You may only use this option if you failed to appear for arraignment and your case does not involve domestic violence.
If you choose not to do any of these options, your warrant will remain active and you could be arrested at any time. The Marshals actively work to arrest individuals who fail to appear or comply with a court order. You could also be arrested by other law enforcement officers if you are stopped or contacted. If you are arrested, you will need to post bond or wait to appear before a Judge before you are released. The arrest will be a permanent part of your criminal record.