A. Any person who has signed a citation on which he or she promises to appear in Municipal Court on a date certain, or having been released on recognizance, or having appeared in court has agreed to appear at any new date for a hearing of any type, and any person having asked for the opportunity to pay his/her fine and costs over time so as to have signed a payment plan with the City, shall be deemed to have voluntarily made such promises to the Judge of the Municipal Court together with the assertion that they are physically and financially capable of complying.
B. In the event of the failure to appear as promised, or the failure to pay as promised, such failure shall be treated as an offense and contempt of court. A warrant may be issued for the arrest of the defendant upon the apparent violation of this section. It shall be an affirmative defense to said contempt of court proceeding that serious illness, financial calamity or other unforeseen circumstances outside of the defendant’s control, made it impossible for the defendant to fulfill his or her promise to the court.
(Prior Code § 6-118)