Hudson County

Peremptory Challenges: Discouraging or Inviting Discrimination in Jury Selection?

Published on: August 18, 2021 | by Stephen J. Natoli

During the process of jury selection, attorneys from either side may seek to remove jurors they deem unfit to serve. A “for cause” challenge allows attorneys to exclude potential jurors that do not meet the standard criteria or cannot remain impartial when applying the law.

A peremptory challenge, on the other hand, permits attorneys to excuse potential jurors without any explanation. The Federal and State Constitutions allow attorneys to use a limited number of peremptory challenges as long as jurors are not rejected based on their race, gender, religion or class. New Jersey courts have established a specific analysis that allows parties to contest a peremptory challenge if it is believed to be discriminatory.

In State v. Andujar, the Defendant was accused of stabbing his roommate multiple times with a knife. A few days after the incident, the roommate died as a result of the stab wounds. In 2017, the Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder and two weapons offenses.

Can Invoking The Right to Counsel Be Construed As An Inference of Guilt?

Published on: August 3, 2021 | by Stephen J. Natoli

No, a defendant’s right to have an attorney present during interrogation is guaranteed by both the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona.

Accordingly, any statements made during the interrogation of a defendant in custody may be admissible as evidence only if the defendant is fully aware of their rights and made their statements voluntarily.

On July 20th, 2021, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey decided in State v. Dorff, that the trial court erred in denying the Defendant’s motion to suppress her statements to law enforcement during one of two separate interrogations. The Court came to this conclusion based on the circumstances surrounding the Defendant’s statements to law enforcement and the violation of her right to counsel.

Erroneous Jury Instructions: A Recipe for Unjust Verdicts

Published on: July 15, 2021 | by Stephen J. Natoli

Jury instructions are directions from a judge to the jury that provide guidance in their deliberations to reach a verdict. These instructions are meant to help jurors understand the applicable laws and how they should assess the facts of the case.

Sadly, there are instances where such instructions are flawed and can unjustly influence a jury’s decision-making process.

In State v. Oguta, the Defendant sought to appeal his conviction on a fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon charge because the trial court judge did not grant his request for a self-defense jury instruction.

A Balancing Act: The Rights of the Accused v. The Rights of the Alleged Victim

Published on: June 17, 2021 | by Stephen J. Natoli

The process of criminal pretrial discovery, which involves an exchange of information between parties, is guided by specific rules and limitations. Protective orders, for example, may limit what information is provided to the opposing party or to whom such information may be provided.

Although restricting information may seem like a detriment to the party seeking certain discovery, such restrictions are sometimes justified by public policy considerations such as fairness and privacy.

On June 4th, 2021, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey decided in State v. Ramirez, that the trial court abused its discretion in denying the State’s motion for a protective order to exclude a victim’s home address from discovery made available to the Defendant and his counsel. The Court came to this conclusion based on (1) the nature of the alleged sexual assault, and (2) the relevant matters of public policy.

Voir Dire: Revealing or Creating Bias in Prospective Jurors?

Published on: June 9, 2021 | by Stephen J. Natoli

Voir dire, which means “to speak the truth” in French, also refers to the examination of prospective jurors to determine whether or not they are suitable for jury service. During this jury selection process, a judge may ask standard questions to excuse anyone deemed incapable of serving on a jury. Attorneys involved in the case may also question the jurors to identify any potential biases. If any such biases are suspected, the attorneys may request to remove the biased jurors or exercise a peremptory challenge to exclude those jurors from the trial.

However, some questions asked during this process are likely to create rather than reveal partiality within prospective jurors.

In State v. Leo T. Little, Jr. , the Defendant sought to challenge his convictions for aggravated assault and weapons offenses on the ground that voir dire questioning by the trial court of prospective jurors during jury selection deprived him of a fair trial.

False Promises: Can Police Conduct Vitiate the Validity of a Signed Miranda Waiver?

Published on: June 3, 2021 | by Stephen J. Natoli

Yes, as held in State v. Sims, if the Court determines that the waiver was not signed knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily then that waiver is considered ineffective and the defendant’s Fifth Amendment Rights can still be violated.

The right against self-incrimination is guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and by New Jersey statutes. The historic 1966 U.S. Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona, requires law enforcement to inform individuals in police custody of these rights prior to questioning.

Generally, by signing a waiver of these rights, an individual who is in police custody acknowledges that they are not being pressured or coerced to provide information to law enforcement personnel. However, there are exceptions to this general proposition.

Can Trial Courts Deny Defendant’s Request for a New Criminal Defense Attorney on the Day of Trial?

Published on: April 6, 2021 | by Stephen J. Natoli

Yes, if the court conducts a thorough analysis of the factors listed in United States v. Burton and those factors favor denial of Defendant’s request.

In March of this year the New Jersey Supreme Court dealt with this very issue in the context of a murder trial. In State v. Luis Maisonet, the Defendant’s request for a new attorney was summarily denied by the trial court. The record presented a dearth of facts regarding the Burton factors. Nonetheless, the New Jersey Supreme Court found that it could glean sufficient information from the record to analyze the Burton factors in a fashion that militated against the Defendant.

Before conducting its analysis the Court explained that the major considerations any trial court should contemplate are those of the Defendant’s constitutional right to obtain counsel of his choice, the court’s right to control its own calendar and the public’s interest in the orderly administration of justice.