DEFENDANT MISSED HEARING GUILTY VERDICT

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 30, 1992                   TAG: 9201300281
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: VICTORIA RATCLIFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
DEFENDANT MISSED HEARING GUILTY VERDICT
A Roanoke man believed to be the first person tried in his absence in federal court in Western Virginia was convicted of conspiring to sell crack cocaine Wednesday by a jury in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
Federal officials received information Tuesday that the man - Donnie Bundick - had been apprehended in Orlando, Fla., on Tuesday, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Baer. But it was not possible to transfer Bundick to Roanoke in time for him to be present for the end of his trial, Baer said.
Bundick was convicted along with his brother, James Bundick, and another accomplice, Marcia Ann Senior, a Jamaican from Washington, D.C.
All face possible life sentences in prison, according to Baer.
The Bundicks, Senior and Daphine Parris were indicted with a fifth person - who is still a fugitive - in September on charges of distributing crack cocaine from April to July. Parris later pleaded guilty.
Bundick failed to show up for his trial in November and has been a fugitive since then. His attorney, Sam Darby, argued Monday that he could not properly defend his client without his presence in the courtroom.
But Judge James Turk agreed with Baer's argument that case law showed that Bundick waived his right to be present by absenting himself voluntarily.
Sentencing for Bundick has not been scheduled.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB