Costs of Failure to Appear for Arraignment

In a jurisdiction where failure to appear (FTA) at an arraignment leads to a default judgment against the defendant, additional fines, suspension of drivers’ licenses, and a warrant, about one-third of defendants nevertheless FTA. In collaboration with a large municipal court system, this RCT evaluates multiple notification interventions to reduce FTA. We will randomize both the messages delivered as well as the mode of communication. The results of the study will help researchers and policymakers understand why FTA occurs and the most cost-effective methods for reducing it.