NJ Supreme Court Confirms Warrantless Vehicle Search Requires Unforeseeable and Spontaneous Circumstances

In State v. Kyle A. Smart (A-6-22/087315) (Decided March 8, 2023), the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the automobile exception to the warrant requirement, as set forth in State v. Witt, 223 N.J. 409 (2015), did not permit the warrantless search of defendant Kyle Smart’s vehicle after an

NJ Supreme Court Rules Self-Insurance Is Not the Same as “Other Insurance”

In Statewide Insurance Fund v. Star Insurance Company (A-62-21/086440) (Decided February 16, 2023), the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that a public entity joint insurance fund (JIF) established under the Joint Insurance Fund Act affords liability protection to public entities through “self-insurance,” not insurance. Accordingly, the “other insurance” clause

NJ Supreme Court Clarifies When Courts Must Give Lesser-included Offense Instruction

In State v. Timothy J. Canfield (A-53-21/086644) (Decided January 11, 2023), the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the trial court did not err in failing to instruct the jury to consider a lesser charge of passion/provocation manslaughter. However, it declined to adopt a procedural rule proposed by the

NJ Supreme Court Clarifies Motor Vehicle Commission Lacks Authority to Modify Drunk Driving Sentences

In State v. Deje M. Coviello (A-54-21/086673) (Decided January 19, 2023), the Supreme Court of New Jersey clarified which forum should decide whether a defendant should be relieved of the requirement to install an ignition interlock device (IID). The court held that the sentencing court, and not the Motor Vehicle

NJ Supreme Court Outlines Standard for Obtaining Sexual Assault Victim’s Mental Health Records

In State v. Terrell M. Chambers (A-35-21/086317) (Decided January 23, 2023), the Supreme Court of New Jersey addressed when defendants should be able to access a rape victim’s mental health records. The court ultimately held that a heightened discovery standard should govern a defendant’s motion for pre-incident mental health records

NJ Supreme Court Clarifies How Recent Amendments Impact Child Abuse Claims

In W.S. v. Derek Hildreth (A-46-21/086633) (Decided January 18, 2023), the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that child sexual abuse survivors who file a Child Sexual Abuse Act (CSAA) complaint against a public entity after December 1, 2019 — even if their cause of action accrued much earlier —

NJ Supreme Court to Determine If Defendants With Cannabis Expungement Are Eligible for PTI

The Supreme Court of New Jersey is poised to consider one of several key criminal law issues that has arisen in the wake of the state’s efforts to expunge low-level marijuana convictions. The key issue before the court in the consolidated cases of State v. Richard Gomes and State v.

NJ Supreme Court to Consider Constitutionality of Terroristic Threats Statute

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently announced that it has granted certification in a case challenging the terroristic threats statute, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3(a), which criminalizes a threat to commit a crime of violence made “in reckless disregard of the risk of causing…terror.” The Appellate Division found the statute to be constitutionally