At least 1 of out of every 10 defendants did not attend their criminal district court dates in Montgomery and Prince George?s counties
from January to March ? a higher percentage than almost anywhere else in Maryland, according to an analysis conducted by The Examiner.
In January, Prince George?s County led Maryland?s 12 district court divisions with just more than 15 percent of criminal case defendants failing to appear in court. Montgomery County topped the missing defendants list with 18 percent in February and 15 percent in March.
Of 9,468 court cases filed in the two counties in the first three months of this year, 1,409 defendants did not show up for their court dates.
Law enforcement officials said no-shows add to the piles of warrants they receive from the courts each month.
Court officials said missing defendants halt the legal process for those seeking resolution.
“It?s a real inconvenience for victims in these cases,” said Glenn Ivey, Prince George?s County state?s attorney.
A spokesman for the Montgomery County Police Department said police will eventually catch up with those who don?t show up for court.
“They think it will go away,” said Derek Baliles. “Unfortunately, it does not.”
Criminal cases handled by district courts tend to involve such offenses as car thefts.
Suspects arrested and charged in these crimes receive a court date before bonding out, Baliles said, and then a notice is sent in the mail.
Sometimes those notices don?t reach the necessary person, or they do and they?re disregarded, Baliles said.
“Some people are more transient than others,” he said.
“Some people are more honest than others.”
A no-show results in a bench warrant.
Baliles said warrants can be executed at any time and sometimes any place.
Anything from an officer sitting in traffic typing nearby license plate numbers into his computer to someone being a victim of a fender-bender could lead to an arrest warrant.
“If we know where you work, we?ll come to work and get you there,” Baliles said. “Especially on paydays.”
