When a complaint of an alleged ordinance violation is made to the City Judge, the Judge may, in his or her discretion, in lieu of issuing an arrest warrant, issue a summons, ordering the alleged offender personally to appear before the City Court at a time specified therein to answer to the charges against him or her. The summons shall contain a brief description of the offense charged, but need not set out verbatim the provisions of the ordinance alleged to have been violated. Upon failure of any person to appear before the City Court as commanded in a summons lawfully served on him or her, the cause may be proceeded with ex parte, and the judgment of the Court shall be valid and binding subject to the defendant’s right of appeal.
(1994 Code, § 3-302)