Thing is...The Judicial System deems that the court date comes first before being "out of town"...
And I am willing to bet, that the bailiff was bullshitting, unless it was some hick town.
They usually have the courtroom clerk or another clerk issue the bench warrant, it's the judge who signs off on it (basically issuing it)
There have been judges who have issued bench warrants for people who don't here their names being called in the same ct room---and then have to be take to lock up. And even people who are 5 minutes late, and the judge refuses to recall their names---bench warrant issued. The thinking is, if you can't take your courtdate
seriously, well....this is what happens.
A lot of people call in that their car broke down, or their ride didn't come, or they forgot. And many people have their lawyers file a line for continuance, whether it be that the lawyer is stalling, or a legitimate reason, there is no guarantee that it will be granted. Some judges are lenient, others are not...
No bullshit... In the courts, the Bailiff is a Sheriff's Deputy... He literally walks it over next door to the Sheriff's office and turns it in.
Not a hick town... Pretty big locality actually.
The continuance had been granted weeks in advance, but that didn't matter.
Again... Like I said, the charge was dropped, but it's often ridiculous what you have to go through to prove your innocence. Judges have ultimate power in their court rooms.
