Montana Title 46. Criminal Procedure § 46-16-122. Absence of defendant from trial

(1) In a misdemeanor case, if the defendant fails to appear in person, either at the time set for the trial or at any time during the course of the trial and if the defendant's counsel is authorized to act on the defendant's behalf, the court shall proceed with the trial unless good cause for continuance exists.

(2) If the defendant's counsel is not authorized to act on the defendant's behalf as provided in subsection (1) or if the defendant is not represented by counsel, the court, in its discretion, may do one or more of the following:

(3) After the trial of a felony offense has commenced in the defendant's presence, the absence of the defendant during the trial may not prevent the trial from continuing up to and including the return of a verdict if the defendant:

(4) Nothing in this section limits the right of the court to order the defendant to be personally present at the trial for purposes of identification unless defense counsel stipulates to the issue of identity.