Legal Question in Criminal Law in Missouri

Re: Possession of a controlled substance

It does not matter whether or not you signed the ticket. You must appear in Court on your Court date or else a warrant will be issued for your arrest. You should definitely hire an attorney to defend you on this case. A conviction on your record will have serious negative consequences for your future. If you do not already have an attorney, you may call me for a consultation.

Re: Possession of a controlled substance

I'm not sure what you're asking, exactly. You have not given many facts. However, your signature was probably NOT required for said ticket to hold up in court. What defense do you have? Refusal to sign it won't be one of them. Your signature usually only indicates that you acknowledge the time/place of your court date and/or that you'll have to pay a fine if you choose not to appear (assuming you have that option on the particular citation you were issued). Police are not required to get your signature to issue you a ticket/citation (otherwise no one would sign them and would get "off" every time based on the lack of signature).

I cannot comment as to what your penalty would be. It will very much depend upon the circumstances of your case, the jurisdiction in which you were cited, etc. Your best bet is to appear for your first appearance and see what the State offers you, request a bench or jury trial, and/or seek the assistance of an attorney, depending upon the nature of the charges.