In traffic court, which falls under criminal law, the case is dismissed when the cop doesn’t show. Is the same true in a criminal case? Basically, your accuser must be present, so I WAG so, since the cop represents the State…can the State send someone else to represent the State…or must it be the arresting officer?
I know that in New Jersey, judges will generally reschedule the hearing the first time a cop doesn’t show, so it’s not a guaranteed Get Out of Jail Free everywhere. (I have no idea if someone else can be sent, although I’d tend to think that they’d need to have the original cop present to testify to your behavior.)