Robert Melvin, Northeast Region Director at the R Street Institute, provided testimony in support of Virginia Senate Bill 475, which seeks to establish an automated court date reminder program. The testimony was presented to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on February 4, 2026.
Melvin stated that automated reminders are common in other areas of life but are currently lacking in Virginia’s court system. He argued that many failures to appear (FTAs) happen because people forget or misunderstand their court dates rather than intentionally avoid them. While Virginia offers the Case Alert Subscription System (CASS), Melvin noted that its opt-in nature and limited visibility have led to low participation rates.
He cited research indicating that states with opt-in reminder systems see much lower participation—around two percent—compared to states with automated programs, where participation ranges from 72 to 90 percent. Automated reminders have been shown to reduce failure-to-appear incidents by 20 to 40 percent, with some programs reporting reductions as high as 60 percent.
SB 475 would create an automated system for notifying defendants about upcoming court appearances via text message for criminal or traffic cases in general district or circuit courts. Defendants would be able to opt out if they choose. According to Melvin, this approach is effective elsewhere and could help between 2,200 and 4,400 additional Virginians attend their hearings each year.
The financial impact is also significant. Each FTA costs the justice system around $1,500 due to extra personnel time and law enforcement resources required for bench warrants and arrests. This not only increases costs for state and local governments but also diverts funds from crime prevention efforts.
About 11,000 Virginians are charged with FTA annually—a figure that does not include all cases leading to bench warrants or license suspensions. Other states such as Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Texas have already implemented similar automated systems at initial costs ranging from $35,000 to $600,000 and ongoing expenses under $1 per case.
Melvin concluded: “SB 475 will help to reduce failure to appear rates in Virginia through the implementation of an automated court reminder system. The Commonwealth can realize significant cost savings from reduced hearing delays, executions of bench warrants, and jail use. This would allow crucial public safety resources to be focused on more vital needs, rather than those who simply forgot or misunderstood their court dates. For these reasons, we respectfully encourage you to support SB 475.”
