Columbia Failure to appear in municipal court ordinance (§ 16-216)
Chapter 16: Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions · Article II. Code of Offenses
(a) A person commits the offense of failure to appear in municipal court if:
(1) He has been issued a summons for a violation of any ordinance of the City of Columbia and fails to appear before the judge of the municipal court at the time and on the date on which he was summoned, or at the time and on the date to which the case was continued.
(2) He has been released upon recognizance of bond and fails to appear before the judge of the municipal court at the time and on the date on which he was summoned or at the time and on the date to which the case was continued.
(b) Nothing in this section shall prevent the exercise by the municipal court of its power to punish for contempt.
(e) Failure to appear in municipal court is a Class B misdemeanor.
Official source: City of Columbia official Code of Ordinances (online): look up Sec. 16-216
Text from Supplement 139 (September 3, 2026).
Last checked November 1, 2026. The city's official copy controls; this page is a reading copy, not legal advice.