The defendant must appear at the time appointed in the notice and answer the accusation, unless for sufficient cause, the court assigns another day for that purpose. If the defendant does not appear, the court may proceed to hear and determine the accusation in the defendant's absence.
N.D. Cent. Code § 44-10-05
Defendant must appear and answer accusation
Official source: North Dakota Legislative Branch. Reproduced from public-domain North Dakota statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.