Existing provisions of the California Constitution provide a criminal defendant the right to be personally present with counsel at trial. Existing law requires a defendant to be present at a felony trial or preliminary hearing. Existing law, however, also authorizes a court to proceed, in the defendant's absence, with a trial or preliminary hearing that has commenced in the presence of the defendant, but from which the defendant is voluntarily absent or has been removed from the courtroom for disruptive behavior, as specified.
California AB 700 (20212022) — Criminal procedure: arraignment and trial.
Existing provisions of the California Constitution provide a criminal defendant the right to be personally present with counsel at trial. Existing law requires a defendant to be present at a felony trial or preliminary hearing. Existing law, however, also authorizes a court to proceed, in the defendant's absence, with a trial or preliminary hearing that has commenced in the presence of the defendant, but from which the defendant is voluntarily absent or has been removed from the courtroom for disruptive behavior, as specified.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.