Rule 37.57 Presence of Defendant - When Required

Here's what this rule means for someone facing a statutory or ordinance violation case.

You generally need to be there in person for your trial or if you plan to plead guilty. The court can't hold a trial or accept a guilty plea without you present. However, there's an exception: if you, the prosecutor, and the judge all agree that you don't need to show up, then the case can move forward without you.

If you don't show up to hear the verdict, but your absence is your own choice (not something forced on you), the court can still accept and read the verdict. In other words, skipping out on purpose doesn't stop the case from being decided.

Finally, if court records show you were present at the start of the trial or at some point during it, the court will assume you were there for the whole thing unless the records say otherwise. This means you don't need proof of attendance for every single moment. Once your presence is documented at some point, the court treats you as having been there throughout, unless something on the record shows you left or were absent.