Sec. 2. (a) A conservation officer may issue a summons for a violation committed within the view of the conservation officer.

(b) A defendant who fails to appear as commanded by the summons is in contempt of court.

(c) Upon a failure to appear, the court shall issue a warrant for the arrest of the defendant.

(d) This subsection applies to a warrant issued under subsection (c) for the arrest of a defendant who is an Indiana resident. If the warrant is not executed within thirty (30) days after issue, the court shall promptly forward the court copy of the summons to the bureau of motor vehicles indicating that the defendant failed to appear in court as ordered. The court shall then mark the case as failure to appear on the court's records.

(e) This subsection applies to a warrant issued under subsection (c) for the arrest of a defendant who is not an Indiana resident. If the warrant is not executed within thirty (30) days after issue, the court shall promptly forward the court copy of the summons to the bureau of motor vehicles. The bureau of motor vehicles shall notify the bureau of motor vehicles commission of the state of the nonresident defendant of the defendant's failure to appear and also of any action taken by the bureau of motor vehicles relative to the Indiana driving privileges of the defendant. The court shall then mark the case as failure to appear on the court's records.

(f) If the bureau of motor vehicles receives a copy of the summons or a summons for failure to appear in court, the bureau of motor vehicles shall suspend the driving privileges of the defendant until the defendant appears in court and the case has been disposed of. The order of suspension may be served upon the defendant by mailing the order by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the defendant at the last address shown for the defendant in the records of the bureau of motor vehicles. The order takes effect on the date the order is mailed.

(g) For nonresidents of Indiana, the order of suspension shall be mailed to the defendant at the address given to the arresting conservation officer by the defendant as shown by the signed summons. The order takes effect on the date of mailing. A copy of the order shall also be sent to the bureau of motor vehicles of the state of the nonresident defendant. If:

(1) the defendant's failure to appear in court has been certified to the bureau of motor vehicles under this chapter; and

(2) the defendant subsequently appears in court to answer the charges against the defendant;

the court shall proceed to hear and determine the case in the same manner as other cases pending in the court. Upon final determination of the case, the court shall notify the bureau of motor vehicles of the determination upon forms prescribed by the bureau of motor vehicles. The notification shall be made by the court within ten (10) days after the final determination of the case, and the original copy of the summons must accompany the notification.

[Pre-1995 Recodification Citation: 14-2-9-3 part.]

As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.186-2003, SEC.65.