258
Opinion of the Court
the District Court had acted within its discretion in electing to proceed. Id., at 365-366. We granted certiorari. 503 U. S. 905 (1992).
II
Rule 43 provides in relevant part:
"(a) Presence Required. The defendant shall be present at the arraignment, at the time of the plea, at every stage of the trial including the impaneling of the jury and the return of the verdict, and at the imposition of sentence, except as otherwise provided by this rule. "(b) Continued Presence Not Required. The further progress of the trial to and including the return of the verdict shall not be prevented and the defendant shall be considered to have waived the right to be present whenever a defendant, initially present,
"(1) is voluntarily absent after the trial has commenced . . . ."
The Government concedes that the Rule does not specifically authorize the trial in absentia of a defendant who was not present at the beginning of his trial. The Government argues, nonetheless, that "Rule 43 does not purport to contain a comprehensive listing of the circumstances under which the right to be present may be waived." Brief for United States 16. Accordingly, the Government contends, Crosby's position rests not on the express provisions of Rule 43, but solely on the maxim expressio unius est exclusio alterius. Ibid. We disagree. It is not necessary to invoke that maxim in order to conclude that Rule 43 does not allow full trials in absentia. The Rule declares explicitly: "The de-States v. Tortora, 464 F. 2d 1202, 1208 (CA2), cert. denied sub nom. Santoro v. United States, 409 U. S. 1063 (1972). See also Boreman, Sufficiency of Showing Defendant's "Voluntary Absence" From Trial for Purposes of Criminal Procedure Rule 43, Authorizing Continuance of Trial Notwithstanding Such Absence, 21 A. L. R. Fed. 906, 915-918 (1974 and 1991 Supp.), and cases cited there.
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