New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 215.59 — Bail jumping and failing to respond to an appearance ticket; defense
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 215: Other Offenses Relating to Judicial and Other Proceedings, New York Penal Law.
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 215.59
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
215.59 Bail jumping and failing to respond to an appearance ticket;
defense.
In any prosecution for bail jumping or failing to respond to an
appearance ticket, it is an affirmative defense that:
1. The defendant's failure to appear on the required date or within
thirty days thereafter was unavoidable and due to circumstances beyond
his control; and
2. During the period extending from the expiration of the thirty day
period to the commencement of the action, the defendant either:
(a) appeared voluntarily as soon as he was able to do so, or
(b) although he did not so appear, such failure of appearance was
unavoidable and due to circumstances beyond his control.
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