Defendants who fail to appear may still be tried in their absence.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only for felonies
• D. If defendant warned

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is that a defendant has to be present at trial to protect due process and the right to defense. Being physically present allows the defendant to confront witnesses, participate in the proceedings, and cooperate with counsel. Because of that, a full criminal trial is not conducted in the defendant’s absence. If the defendant fails to appear, the court typically issues a warrant for arrest and postpones the trial or proceeds only if the defendant has knowingly waived the right to be present or otherwise there is a legally valid reason for proceeding without them. It is not correct to say the trial can go on in absentia, nor is this allowed simply because the defendant was warned or only for felonies. So the statement is false: defendants who fail to appear are not ordinarily tried in their absence.