Defendants in criminal cases have the right to be present for all hearings. Defendants may, however, request to waive their appearances at routine status and motion hearings. At the initial hearing in the case before Judge Tharp, defendants will be advised that they may waive their right to be present at a specific hearing by completing and filing, at least 3 days prior to the hearing, a Waiver of Appearance form. Absent the filing of a completed Waiver of Appearance form, defendants are required to appear for all scheduled hearings. In addition, notwithstanding the filing of a Waiver of Appearance form, the Court may enter an order requiring a defendant to appear.