Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

arrested for failure to appear -never served

i was arrested and taken to jail then released on $750.00 bond on a failure to appear charge. I never received my subpoena. When I appeared in court the judge dismissed it because my paperwork never left my file or so that was the finding. Can I now bring charges for being arrested for no reason and or public humiliation? I had to wear the orange jumpsuit with handcuffs and feet shackles in front of people. I have no criminal history.


Asked on 12/21/03, 6:31 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: arrested for failure to appear -never served

It's not entirely clear from your question as to what you were originally required to appear for.

Since you reference a subpoena, presumably, you had been issued a subpoena to appear as a witness for the Commonwealth. If that was the case and you failed to appear on the appointed

date, then the prosecutor may have asked the judge to issue what's called a "Rule To Show Cause" for you to appear in court on a certain date to explain your failure to show up the first time. Only then, if you had failed to appear on the date for this "Rule" would the court have issued a "capias" or arrest warrant for you.

However, since the circumstances surrounding your

arrest are far from clear, any opinion as to what cause of action you might have, or not have,

against those who were responsible for your arrest would be premature and ill-advised without further elucidation of the facts underlying your arrest.

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Answered on 12/21/03, 11:38 pm


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