When a complaint of an alleged ordinance violation is made to the City Judge or such other official as specified in § 37.28, the Judge may in his or her discretion, in lieu of issuing an arrest warrant, issue a summons, ordering the alleged offender to personally appear before the Police 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 be set out verbatim the provisions of the ordinance alleged to have been violated. Upon failure of any person to appear before the Police 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.
(1986 Code, § 171.10)