(a) It is unlawful for any person to violate his promise to appear given to an officer upon the issuance of a traffic citation regardless of the disposition of the charge for which the citation was originally issued.
(b) A promise to appear in court may be complied with by an appearance by counsel.
(c) Failure to appear as defined in this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both.