If you’ve missed a court date at Brookhaven Municipal Courthouse, the court will likely charge you with a failure to appear (FTA). And, unfortunately, they will also likely a bench warrant for your arrest and reach out to the Department of Driver’s Services (DDS) to suspend your license.
FTA suspensions happen every day across the country when drivers overlook a traffic court date. However, the problem with these failure-to-appear license suspensions is that drivers are often unaware that they both missed court AND have been suspended as a result.
So, it is a total surprise when an officer pulls you over for a routine traffic stop, arrests you for driving on a suspended license.
Reinstating Your License After a Failure to Appear in Brookhaven Municipal Court
Once you are aware of your FTA suspension, it’s up to you to take the proper steps and contact the issuing court. You likely need to contact the City of Brookhaven Municipal Courthouse at (404) 637-0660 to schedule a hearing. They are located at 4362 Peachtree Rd, Brookhaven, Georgia.
(Note – if you already plan to hire an attorney, you should let them handle this part!!!)
Once you’ve contacted the court, resolving the FTA status may be as simple as paying a fine or it may require an in-person appearance. After you have resolved the underlying citation(s) – usually with some sort of plea agreement, the court will issue the 912 forms that you must take to DDS to lift your suspension.
What You Need to Know Before Pleading Guilty to a Traffic Offense
It’s easy to understand that most drivers want to reinstate their licenses as quickly as possible when confronted with an FTA suspension. But it’s important not to make uninformed decisions when pleading guilty to a traffic offense that could have far-reaching consequences.
If the underlying citation is a simple, non-reportable traffic offense, then a guilty plea may have few negative collateral consequences.
But, some drivers could face penalties beyond additional fines and reinstatement fees. For example, drivers under 21 years old who enter a guilty plea to two or more offenses or any single four-point offense could result in a new suspension of driving privileges.
Out-of-state drivers also face more difficulties. Without an attorney, you have to worry about how your home state will react to the Georgia conviction, and be burdened to travel when the clerk requires you to physically appear in court.
Do I Need an Attorney for Missing a Court Date?
FTA license suspensions do not require an attorney – but having one guide you through the process can offer several benefits. Not only are attorneys skilled and knowledgeable at handling these types of cases, but having someone on your team also reduces the amount of stress, research, and leg work and court appearances on your part.
If you would like help simplifying the process, reach out to one of our attorneys today.