In addition, pursuant to the Judge's instructions, the minutes of that portion of the proceedings during which the jurors responded to the questionnaires were not recorded. After the jury was chosen, the issue of the Judge's absence was raised, and defense counsel stated that defendant wished to waive any objection, because he was comfortable with the selected jury. Notwithstanding the defendant's consent, the trial Judge's absence from the courtroom during a portion of the voir dire requires that the conviction be reversed, and the case remanded for a new trial (People v. Toliver, 89 N.Y.2d 843; People v. Garner, 258 A.D.2d 954; see also People v. Ahmed, 66 N.Y.2d 307; People v. Parisi, 276 N.Y. 97). As the Court of Appeals stated in Toliver, The presence of and supervision by a Judge constitutes an integral component of the right to a jury trial. . . . Since the selection of the jury is part of the criminal trial . . ., a defendant has a fundamental right to have a Judge preside over and supervise the voir dire proceedings while prospective jurors are being questioned regarding their qualifications.