The maximum fines for failure to appear differ from those for violation of promise to appear.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. They are the same
• D. The maximum for failure to appear is higher

Answer: (A)

Not showing up as required and breaking a promise to appear are separate offenses, each defined by its own statute. A promise to appear is an agreement to return on a specific date; violating it creates a different, lower- or differently-penalized offense than simply failing to appear. Failure to appear is the act of not appearing at all, which courts treat as a separate violation and can carry its own penalties, often with a higher or otherwise different maximum fine. Because these are distinct offenses with separate legal provisions, their maximum fines are not the same. The statement is true.