State v. Rucker

Leben, J.:

Matthew Rucker was convicted in a jury trial of theft and eluding a police officer. But even though he was in state custody, he wasn’t in attendance at the trial, and he has appealed on the basis that his constitutional and statutory right to be present at his own trial was violated.

*415Rucker sent a note to the court on the morning of his trial, claiming that he had been on a hunger strike for several days and was too weak to come to court. He also said he had complaints about his defense counsel, and he asked the court to appoint new counsel to represent him.

The district judge…