Q: I received a summons by regular mail with no signature required.
It says I'm charged with credit card fraud and if I dont appear on the court date a warrant shall be issued. What do I do since it wasn't severed to me how would they know I received it and it was delivered by regular mail not first class with signature required or dropped off by local law enforcement?
A: When a prosecutor charges a person with a crime, they can either request an arrest warrant or send a Summons to appear. When a Summons is sent, if the defendant does not show up in court at the place and time on the Summons, the judge will issue an Arrest Warrant. Then, police will arrest the defendant and book them into jail. The defendant's bail will usually be higher as a result of the "Failure to Appear" on the Summons. That's why it's a good idea to show up as required by the Summons (or Notice of Appearance). There is no requirement that a Summons be personally served. Almost all of them are mailed.
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