relative to a defendant's presence during certain criminal proceedings.

This bill requires defendants charged with serious crimes, including those punishable by life in prison or 15 years or more, to be present for every stage of their trial and sentencing. It allows judges to excuse a defendant's presence for good cause but also permits proceedings to continue without the defendant if they voluntarily absent themselves or act disruptively. The legislation mandates that law enforcement transport incarcerated defendants to court and authorizes the use of reasonable force if a defendant refuses to comply with a transport order. Additionally, it creates a new felony charge for knowingly failing to appear or refusing transport without a valid court excuse, with the new sentence running consecutively to any other prison term.