If you receive a criminal summons in the mail, do not ignore it. You must appear in court if you receive a summons. If you fail to appear, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. This means that the police can arrest you on the warrant at any time and then you may have to post bail to be released and this may be after spending a night or two in jail.

If you have a warrant, contact an attorney immediately. An attorney in many cases can file a motion to quash the warrant. If the motion is granted, the warrant will be quashed and the attorney can represent you on the underlying charges.

There are many people that receive a summons and panic. They decide to ignore it. Others forget about the summons until the court date has passed. If you receive a summons, contact an attorney who can advise of the potential penalties and show up for court.