People v. Mize

This is an appeal by the defendant from a sentence of 18 to 20 years imposed by the circuit court of Jersey County on a negotiated plea of guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The defendant was represented by experienced counsel in the trial court arid is represented by the Illinois Defender Project in this court. Squarely raised in this case are two questions: (1) can the trial court in a negotiated plea sentence the defendant without a hearing in aggravation and mitigation where both the People and the defendant waived such a hearing and (2) was it error for the trial court to impose a…