Commonwealth v. Jones

Today the majority creates a system of justice unprecedented in this country, a system wherein a defendant may be unfairly tried and sentenced in absentia, with no right of appeal under any circumstances. I must vigorously dissent. Justice requires the assurance of a fair trial, an assurance secured by the guarantee of appellate review. I cannot countenance a system of jurisprudence that endorses trial and sentence in absentia beyond the reach of appellate review.

In no case involving the dismissal of a fugitive’s appeal do we find facts such as those present at bar. It is intolerable as a…