Commonwealth v. Hunsberger

OPINION

Justice McCAFFERY.

The question presented here is whether a criminal defendant’s right to be present in the courtroom at every critical stage of his or her trial, including during the impaneling of a jury, categorically mandates the defendant’s personal ability to hear each venireperson who is questioned at sidebar during voir dire proceedings conducted by the court, his counsel, and the prosecuting attorney as to substantive issues. We conclude that it does not based upon the principle that a defendant’s right to be present in the courtroom at every stage of his or her trial is not…