If a defendant fails to appear for judgment, who must the court issue a bench warrant for?

When a defendant fails to appear for judgment, the court must issue a bench warrant for the defendant. This is because the defendant's presence is required to move forward with legal proceedings, including judgment in their case. A bench warrant is a court order that authorizes law enforcement to arrest the defendant due to their failure to comply with the court's requirement to appear.

The other roles, such as bail agents, indemnitors, and recovery agents, are linked to the bail process but do not bear legal responsibility for appearing in court themselves. The bail agent and recovery agent may have obligations related to securing the defendant’s appearance, but ultimately, it is the defendant whose compliance is mandated by the court. If the defendant does not show up, the court takes direct action against them through the issuance of a bench warrant, emphasizing the defendant's central role in the legal proceedings.