Which statement about failure to appear and consequences is true?

• A. A defendant who has been in custody and then failed to appear for trial may be charged with failure to appear.
• B. If a mistrial is declared, the case must be tried within two days.
• C. Municipal courts may close a trial to the public if it is in the best interest of the defendant.
• D. Docket call is when the court determines if all the prospective jurors appeared.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that failing to appear can be charged as a separate offense regardless of the defendant’s custody status. If someone who has been in custody is scheduled to go to trial and then does not show up, the court can charge them with failure to appear because the obligation to appear remains in force even while the person is detained. This helps enforce court orders and keep the judicial process moving, and it can lead to additional penalties or a warrant for arrest (a capias) while the underlying case proceeds.

The other statements mix up how court timing and procedures work. A mistrial does not create a hard two-day deadline to retry the case. Closing a trial to the public simply to protect the defendant’s interests isn’t routinely allowed in municipal court proceedings, which generally remain open. Docket calls are about administrative scheduling and readiness, not about determining whether all prospective jurors appeared.