SB643 - Failure to appear; contempt of court, penalties.

3 Co-Sponsors

Penalties for failure to appear; contempt. Provides that any person (i) charged with a felony offense or misdemeanor offense or (ii) convicted of a felony offense or misdemeanor offense and execution of sentence is suspended who willfully fails to appear before any court or judicial officer as required may be punished for contempt. Under current law, such person is guilty of a Class 6 felony, if charged with a felony, or a Class 1 misdemeanor, if charged with a misdemeanor, for such a violation. The bill excludes from such penalty persons who are incarcerated or in the custody of a law-enforcement officer at the time such person is required to appear. The bill also eliminates a court's authority to punish summarily a contempt of court for willful failure to appear.