The criminal suspect is called the defendant at the trial stage. The defendant may entrust a lawyer to defend himself, but he must appear in court.
Criminal cases are different from civil cases. The defendant must attend the trial. If the defendant suffers from a serious illness and is unfit to appear in court, the court may appraise the defendant's ability to appear in court. If the defendant is found unable to appear in court, the trial may be suspended, and when the defendant is able to appear in court, the trial may continue. This kind of hearing is irreplaceable by lawyers.