The Defendant charged with a felony or a misdemeanor, punishable by a penalty other than the fine, shall appear in person. For other misdemeanors and petty offences, the Defendant may appoint an attorney to defend him, without prejudice to the authority of the court to order his personal presence. However, in all circumstances, the attorney, a relative, or an in-law of the Defendant may appear and furnish an excuse for the Defendant's absence. If the court accepts the excuse, it shall schedule another date for the Defendant to appear, and the Public Prosecution shall notify the Defendant of the new date.
Interpretation and application must be checked against the official text and current version.