Facts:  Kiowa Gordon, who played werewolf Embry Call in the popular Twilight movie franchise, has run into a string of bad luck with the law.  In 2010, Mr. Gordon was stopped in Mesa, Arizona for possession and use of drug paraphernalia and giving liquor to a minor/underage consumption.  He apparently pled guilty but failed to appear at a required court hearing (possibly to formally enter the plea, or a similar procedure).  Due to his failure to appear, a warrant was issued for his arrest and additional charges were filed.

On August 8, 2011, Mr. Gordon was a passenger in a car driven by a friend in Arizona.  The two men were apparently headed to California to audition for a role in a new movie.  Unfortunately, the vehicle was stopped as part of some “routine vehicle inspection.”  The officers checked identification and discovered that Mr. Gordon had outstanding warrants in Arizona.  He was arrested and given a new court date.

Law:  The original drug charges in Arizona were very minor - at least when considering the maximum penalties. For possession of drug paraphernalia, it can be charged as a class 6 felony (which does not carry jail time) or a misdemeanor (which carries very light jail time).  For first time drug offenses, jail time is extremely unlikely; prosecutors and judges typically first place the offender into a rehabilitation program.  

The penalties for underage consumption and/or giving liquor to a minor vary depending on the charge.  I was able to find that since this older incident happened in an automobile, Mr. Gordon could have been charged with a DUI because of his age, and the penalties are harsh because of the dangers of drinking and driving.  Apparently, if convicted, there could be a mandatory license suspension for two years.  

The more recent charge - failure to appear - would be treated as a misdemeanor because he failed to appear for a previous misdemeanor.  The penalties for this charge include a maximum fine of $2,500 and a maximum jail sentence of 6 months.  It is important to remember that having charges like these added to the original charges will only upset the judge and likely lead to harsher penalties for the original crimes.

Analysis:  The consequences of your actions will not disappear simply because you choose to ignore them.  If you are mature enough to commit a crime, you have to be mature enough to deal with the results.  By neglecting your legal responsibilities, you create bigger, long-term problems for yourself.  These decisions are likely to have a great impact on your social future.

Simply making one poor decision does not define who you are.  There may be financial, economic, and social consequences because of your actions – I cannot deny that.  However, there can be positives taken from the situation as long as you are the bigger man and do the right thing immediately.  The legal system will run its course, and it will decide if you are innocent or guilty.  If you are found guilty, you have to pay for the consequences of your actions.  This includes paying back all required fines and showing up to all court appearances.

Mr. Gordon’s case is an example of what happens when someone does not cooperate with the system after getting into trouble.  It’s possible that he simply forgot to go to court.  It’s also possible that he did not think it was a big deal and thought that he could simply skip it.  Whatever the reason, he allowed a warrant to be issued for his arrest.  It caught up to him at the worst possible time – on his way to a job interview.  His particular story has a potentially happy ending: the movie studio allowed him to audition at a later date.  For most people, however, this type of second chance is very unlikely. The only way to avoid negative consequences is to take responsibility for your actions immediately and follow along with the process stated by the court.