Measure the true impact of failure to appear
A defendant's absence in court poses significant challenges to the judicial system. A single failure to appear (FTA) not only wastes the valuable time and resources of court personnel, it sets off a chain reaction that disrupts the carefully coordinated legal process and requires additional preparation by everyone involved.
One missed date, many downstream costs
The price of a failure to appear is rarely a single line item. It accumulates across staff, law enforcement, and the docket.
Court Personnel Time
When a defendant does not show up, the time of judges, clerks, bailiffs, and other court staff is wasted. They are still paid for their time in court, regardless of whether the defendant appears.
Law Enforcement Costs
When a bench warrant is issued for an arrest due to failure to appear, law enforcement must spend resources to locate and detain the person, including reprocessing costs once they are in custody.
Public Defender and Prosecutor Time
Preparations by attorneys, both public defenders and prosecutors, are wasted when a case is rescheduled, requiring further preparation for the new hearing date.
Rescheduling
The court may need to reschedule the hearing, leading to potential backlogs and inefficiencies in the judicial system.
Impact on Other Cases
Rescheduling one case can have a domino effect on the scheduling of other cases, causing delays and inefficiencies throughout the system.
Administrative Costs
Sending out notifications, updating systems, and other clerical tasks related to a failure to appear also incur costs.
Potential Bail Forfeiture
When a defendant was out on bail, that bail might be forfeited, leading to extra court proceedings and administrative tasks if the bail bond company or surety seeks to recover losses.
Jail and Holding Costs
Once arrested on a bench warrant, the defendant may be held in jail until the next court date. This incurs costs associated with housing, feeding, and supervising inmates.
Public Trust and Perception
Regular failures to appear can erode public trust in the justice system's efficiency. The schedules and lives of victims and witnesses are disrupted as well.
Reminders that reach people before the date
Most failures to appear are not willful, they are missed. Automated reminders by text, email, and voice, in the recipient's preferred language, get people to court and keep cases moving. Agencies using systematic reminders see failure to appear drop by up to 50%.
Proof points
up to 50%
Reduction in failure to appear with automated reminders
~23%
National average FTA rate
100+
Languages reminders can reach
Cut the cost of missed court dates
Get a demo tailored to your agency and see how automated reminders reduce failure to appear.