Don't blow off a court date

"Oh, it's just Woodstock's own court. Showing up doesn't matter."

Is that what one defendant thought last week, when he didn't bother to show up for his date with Judge Eterno in Woodstock's Administrative Adjudication Court?

It won't be long before he realizes that he made a really serious mistake.

The young man (who can avoid additional shame and embarrassment here by remaining unidentified) was to be in court on last Thursday on a truancy matter. Not just "a" truancy matter; he had seven dates of truancy for which he was to answer.

Where was he? Well, not in court.

He had had a previous truancy case in this court. When he didn't show last Thursday, the City's prosecutor asked Judge Eterno to find him Guilty (Liable) and to fine him the maximum amount for each instance of truancy. Ouch!

Earlier in the session the judge had mentioned that truancy fines range from $50 to $100.

At the maximum fine of $100 for each of the seven truancies, this young man is going to owe $700, plus one $50 bill in court costs.

What might have happened if he had shown up in court? Well, he might have struck a deal to plead Guilty on one violation at the maximum fine of $100, plus $50 costs. Maybe the City might have dismissed the others; maybe not. Or he might have arm-wrestled with Attorney Kevin Chrzanowski and ended up somewhere in the middle between $100 and $700. But his price for the no-show? $750.00!!!