Defendant missed hearing due to suicide attempt

TEXARKANA, Texas — An appeals court in Texas upheld a criminal defendant’s conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child, finding the trial court did not abuse its discretion in proceeding with the trial even though defendant could not be there for the first day because he was in the hospital after attempting suicide. There was sufficient evidence to support the trial court’s finding that he waived his Sixth Amendment right to be present at trial by voluntarily absenting himself from the proceedings.