Appearance

A defendant who fails to appear in court pursuant to a service of process might have a default judgment entered against her or him and be held in CONTEMPT of court. A failure to appear does not, however, result in a waiver of objections to the court's jurisdiction.

If a defendant fails to make an appearance in the time allotted by statute or court rules, he or she may lose certain rights. But if the circumstances warrant it, a court may extend the time of appearance.