People v. Lozada

Defendant, Jorge Lozada, appeals from a sentence imposed in absentia following his plea of guilty to a felony offense. Defendant pied guilty to the offense of residential burglary pursuant to a plea agreement in which he was to receive a nine-year sentence. Subsequent to its acceptance of defendant’s plea on December 9, 1997, the trial court granted defendant’s request that the sentencing hearing be continued to January 6, 1998. The court warned defendant that his presence at the hearing was mandatory and that, should he fail to appear, he would be sentenced to the maximum statutory term of…