Todd Smith v. Louis F. Mann, Warden, Shawangunk Correctional Facility

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that “nothing in the Constitution prohibits a trial from being commenced in the defendant’s absence so long as the defendant knowingly and voluntarily waives his right to be present”
• noting that the presumption of correctness applies to decisions regarding witness credibility
• explaining that proceeding in absentia is constitutionally permissible where the record establishes that a defendant “knew the precise time and place he was to appear” and then “voluntarily absented himself . . . without some sound reason for remaining away” (citation modified)
• distinguishing Crosby in finding \that in some situations the requisite knowledge can be conclusively found even if the defendant is not present when the trial begins\
• presumption of correctness afforded to state-court findings applies to \the credibility of the witnesses narrating\ historical facts

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).