Failure to appear at summons may be fined

OG 1995 57Other CourtApr 12, 1995Confirmed

Extracted by Omnilex

Omnilex summary

The court held that an accused person must attend an investigative summons and be examined on the offense, personal circumstances, and civil claims. Attendance is a procedural duty, not a matter of choice. By failing to appear without excuse, the accused breached that duty, so the imposed fine was justified and not rendered invalid by the later police escort, which is separately provided for by law.

Omnilex headnote

§ 76 Abs. 1 StPO; appearance of the accused for examination is a procedural duty, not optional. The accused must submit to questioning on the offense, personal circumstances, and civil claims. Unexcused non-appearance constitutes a procedural breach that may be sanctioned by a fine. Subsequent coercive enforcement, including police escort, does not preclude the sanction, since such enforcement is an additional measure expressly contemplated by law (§ 38 Abs. 2 StPO).

Full text

Nach § 76 Abs. 1 StPO ist der Angeschuldigte über die Tat, seine persönlichen Verhältnisse und allfällige Zivilansprüche einzuvernehmen. Es steht nicht im Belieben des Angeschuldigten, ob er sich dieser Einvernahme unterziehen will oder nicht. Das Erscheinen des Angeschuldigten auf eine untersuchungsrichterliche Vorladung hin ist eine prozessuale Pflicht, der er Folge leisten muss.

Der Angeschuldigte hat sich mit seinem unentschuldigten Nichterscheinen auf die amtliche Vorladung hin einer prozessualen Pflichtverletzung schuldig gemacht. Die ausgefällte Busse erweist sich als vertretbar. Dass der Gehorsam des Angeschuldigten durch die polizeiliche Vorführung erzwungen wurde, ändert daran nichts, handelt es sich dabei doch um eine Sanktion, die zusätzlich im Gesetz vorgesehen ist (§ 38 Abs. 2 StPO).

Keywords

procedural dutysummonsfailure to appearfinepolice escort

Extracted by Omnilex

Key legal question

Whether the accused had a duty to appear for the investigative summons and could refuse the interrogation

Extracted holding

The accused was under a procedural duty to appear and be questioned; attendance was not optional.

Extracted reasoning

Art. 76(1) StPO requires the accused to be questioned on the offense, personal circumstances, and civil claims, and the summons must be obeyed.

Key legal question

Whether the fine for unexcused non-appearance was justified despite later police enforcement

Extracted holding

The fine is sustainable; the later police escort does not negate the sanction because the law additionally allows such enforcement.

Extracted reasoning

The unexcused failure to appear breached a procedural duty, and police coercion is an additional statutory measure under § 38(2) StPO.

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