Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5124 (2026)

  Default in required appearance.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 5124.  Default in required appearance.

(a)  Offense defined.--A person set at liberty by court order, with or without bail, upon condition that he will subsequently appear at a specified time and place, commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if, without lawful excuse, he fails to appear at that time and place. The offense constitutes a felony of the third degree where the required appearance was to answer to a charge of felony, or for disposition of any such charge, and the actor took flight or went into hiding to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment.

(b)  Exception.--Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to obligations to appear incident to release under suspended sentence or on probation or parole.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1976–2025 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Maguigan, 511 A.2d 1327 (Pa. 1986).
Commonwealth v. Maguigan, 511 A.2d 1327 (Pa. 1986). · cites it 4× “18 Pa.C.S. § 5124. Aquino obligated himself to keep the court informed of his whereabouts and to make himself available at the direction of the court.”
Commonwealth v. Boyd, 366 A.2d 934 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1976). · cites it 4× “334, § 1, 18 Pa.C.S. § 5124. [2] Cf. Our case of Commonwealth v.”
Com. v. Jenkins, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2025). · cites it 4× “2 18 Pa.C.S. § 5124(a). -3- J-S41042-25 our Supreme Court denied Appellant’s subsequent petition for allowance of appeal.”
In Re: Order Amending Rules 531 & 536 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Crim. Procedure (Pa. 2017). “See also the Crimes Code, 18 Pa.C.S. § 5124, which imposes criminal sanctions for failing to appear in a criminal case when required.”
Com. v. Biddle, J. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2021). “18 Pa.C.S. § 5124(a). 6 18 Pa.C.S. § 3502(a)4).”
Com. v. Sabatell, A. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022). “§ 3802(a)(1) and 18 Pa.C.S. § 5124, respectively. 2 Anders v.”
Com. v. Lawson, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022). “1 18 Pa.C.S. § 5124(a); 35 P.S. § 780-113(a)(16).”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5124(a) — 3 cases
Com. v. Jenkins, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2025). “2 18 Pa.C.S. § 5124(a). -3- J-S41042-25 our Supreme Court denied Appellant’s subsequent petition for allowance of appeal.”
Com. v. Biddle, J. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2021). “18 Pa.C.S. § 5124(a). 6 18 Pa.C.S. § 3502(a)4).”
Com. v. Lawson, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022). “1 18 Pa.C.S. § 5124(a); 35 P.S. § 780-113(a)(16).”
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