Juanteaz McDonald v. State of Mississippi

BARNES, J.,

FOR THE COURT:

¶ 1. Juanteaz McDonald was indicted on two counts of armed robbery, Although he was repeatedly informed of his trial date, McDonald did not appear on the morning of trial; so the Madison County Circuit Court conducted the jury trial in absentia. See Miss. Code Ann., § 99-17-9 (Rev. 2015). McDonald was found guilty on both counts and received concurrent fifty-year sentences in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), with ten years suspended and five years of supervised probation. Appealing his convictions, McDonald claims that the circuit court…