Improper Excuse of Defendant's Appearance in Driving Without License Case

The appellate court overturned a judgment convicting an individual for repeatedly driving without a license and remanded the case for a new trial because the trial court improperly excused the defendant's mandatory personal appearance. The court reasoned that the defendant's unsubstantiated claim of "very difficult circumstances" did not constitute a valid ground for dispensation under the procedural code, which clearly establishes personal appearance as the rule, necessary for the discovery of material truth and thorough personal investigation, especially given the defendant's history of a paranoid-manic disorder which warranted his in-person assessment regarding his current mental state and need for defense counsel.