Top Criminal and Traffic Cases in NJ Municipal
Courts
BY KENNETH A. VERCAMMEN
1. Can Judge rely on suppression motion testimony without
defendant’s consent? No
Court cannot consider Sup Mt testimony unless
agreed by defendant
State v. Gibson 219 NJ 227 (2014)
State v. Gibson 219 NJ 227 (2014)
Due to the fundamental differences
between a pre-trial motion to suppress and a trial on the merits, the best
practice is to conduct two separate proceedings. However, the motion record may
be incorporated into the trial record if both parties consent and counsel are
given wide latitude in cross-examination. Where the evidence from a pre-trial
hearing is improperly admitted at the trial on the merits, the correct remedy
is remand for a new trial.
2 Defendant can be entitled to Adjournment to
Select Own Counsel. State v Kates 216 NJ 393 (2014)
The judgment of the Appellate Division was
affirmed substantially for the reasons expressed in Judge Ostrer’s opinion
below. Deprivation of a defendant’s right to counsel of choice is found where,
as here, a trial court denies an adjournment without properly considering the
relevant factors or abuses its discretion in doing so.
The Appellate Division held Defendant Entitled to Adjournment to Select
Own Counsel. State v. Kates 426 NJ Super. 32 (App. Div. 2012)
The Appellate Division
concluded the trial court mistakenly exercised its discretion in denying
defendant a continuance to enable him to retain counsel of his choice, after he
learned on the eve of trial that the assistant deputy public defender who had
been representing him was about to deployed for active military service. Although the right to counsel of choice is
not absolute and may be balanced against the court's interest in managing its
calendar, the trial court failed to weigh the appropriate factors governing the
discretionary decision whether to grant the requested continuance. The availability of competent counsel not of
defendant's choice was an insufficient basis for denying the continuance. As deprivation of counsel of choice is a
structural error not subject to harmless error analysis, reversal of
defendant's conviction and a new trial is mandated.
3. Police can’t search just because person is
in no loitering area.
If
no probable cause to arrest, search of person is improper State v. Gibson 218 NJ 277 (2014)
There is insufficient
evidence in the record to support a finding that Officer Comegno had probable
cause to arrest Gibson for defiant trespass; therefore, the subsequent search
at the stationhouse was unconstitutional and the drug evidence seized during
the search must be suppressed.
Can the homeowner aunt consent to let police search
her nephew’s locked bedroom?
In this appeal, the Court considers the validity of a warrantless search,
which was consented to by the homeowner and which occurred while the defendant
was unlawfully detained.
4. If
Defendant unlawfully detained, third person’s consent to search no good.
State v. Coles 218 NJ 322 (2014)
The
defendant was already in patrol car. His aunt let police into his locked
bedroom. Police find guns.
Under the circumstances presented
here, a third party’s consent to conduct a warrantless search of a defendant’s
living space is insufficient to justify the search when the defendant is
unlawfully detained by police.
In this appeal, the Court considered the validity of a warrantless search
of a house, specifically addressing whether the knowing and voluntary consent
by an occupant to search a premises is constitutionally effective against a
third party when an absent co-occupant has objected to the search.
5. Co-Occupant
consent to search valid. State v. Lamb 218 NJ 300 (2014)
After
a shooting, mother could give permission to search her home where son lived.
Under
the circumstances of this appeal, an occupant’s knowing and voluntary consent
to search a premises is constitutionally effective against a third party and is
not nullified by the prior objections of an absent co-occupant whose absence is
not the result of a police effort to avoid an objection.
6. Police needed warrant for blood taking after
DWI event in 2010 case, no good faith exception for police actions. State v. Adkins 221 NJ 300
(2015)
HELD: McNeely’s
pronouncement on the Fourth Amendment’s requirements must
apply retroactively to cases that were in the pipeline when McNeely was
issued. Accordingly, the Appellate Division’s judgment is reversed. The matter
is remanded to allow the State and defendant the opportunity to re-present
their respective positions on exigency in a hearing on defendant’s motion to
suppress the admissibility of the blood test results. In that hearing,
potential dissipation of the evidence may be given substantial weight as a
factor to be considered in the totality of the circumstances. The reviewing
court must focus on the objective exigency of the circumstances faced by the
officers.
7. Municipal
Court improperly admitted into evidence Drinking Driving Questionnaire (DDQ)
and Drinking Driving Report (DDR). State v. Kuropchak 216
N.J. 360 (2015)
The
municipal court’s admission of the Alcotest results without the foundational
documents required by State v. Chun, 194 N.J. 54 (2009) was
error. Further, because the DDQ and DDR contained inadmissible hearsay, which
may have unduly influenced the municipal court’s credibility findings, the
matter is remanded for a new trial.
At trial, Gary Aramini, an Alcotest expert, and Officer
Serritella testified. Aramini said that the tests were done improperly and that
the State had failed to enter the right simulator solution Certificate of
Analysis and the most recent Calibrating Unit New Standard Solution Report into
evidence. He also testified that Officer Brito failed to wait the required
twenty minutes between the second and third set of tests and that lip balm,
blood in defendant’s mouth, and a cell phone in the testing room may have
tainted the results. The court admitted the Drinking Driving Questionnaire
(DDQ) and Drinking Driving Report (DDR) into evidence as business records. The
court also admitted Officer Brito’s Alcotest Operator Certification, the
Alcotest Calibration Certificate, Part I -- Control Tests, the Alcotest
Calibration Certificate, Part II -- Linearity Tests, the Calibrating Unit New
Standard Solution Report for solution control lot number 08J060, and a
Certificate of Analysis 0.10 Percent Breath Alcohol Simulator Solution. This
Certificate was admitted without objection; however, the State concedes that it
was for lot 09D065 rather than 08J060, which was the simulator solution used in
defendant’s control test.
HELD:
1. Appellate courts should defer to trial courts’
credibility findings. Occasionally, however, a trial court’s findings may be so
clearly mistaken that the interests of justice demand intervention and
correction.
2. A court may convict a defendant of
DWI if she registers a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher. This finding of
guilt is subject to proof of the Alcotest’s reliability. The operator must
observe the subject for twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, the Alcotest
machine automatically conducts a blank air test to determine if there are any
chemical interferents in the room. Additionally, a control test is conducted; if
the Alcotest is working properly, that control test will generate a result
between 0.095 and 0.105. The State must also admit certain foundational
documents: (1) the most recent calibration report prior to a defendant’s test,
with part I--control tests, part II--linearity tests, and the credentials of
the coordinator who performed the calibration; (2) the most recent new standard
solution report prior to a defendant’s test; and (3) the certificate of
analysis of the 0.10 simulator solution used in a defendant’s control tests to
prove that the Alcotest was in working order.
3. Here, the last semi-annual
calibration was completed on January 12, 2010, with simulator solution control
lot 09D065. The solution control lot for the control test performed prior to
and following the three rounds of breath tests performed on defendant was
solution control lot 08J060. Under Chun, the State was required to provide the
Certificate of Analysis of the 0.10 Simulator Solution used in defendant’s
control test. The State, however, mistakenly admitted the Certificate of
Analysis for the semi-annual simulator solution control lot 09D065 instead.
Additionally, the most recent Calibrating Unit New Standards Solution Report
was not admitted into evidence during the State’s case. Given that the
foundational documents were not admitted into evidence, the State presented no
evidence as to the reliability or accuracy of the Alcotest results and,
therefore, defendant’s conviction of per se intoxication was improper.
4. As for defendant’s contention that
the DDR and DDQ are hearsay not subject to any exception, the Court observes
that hearsay is inadmissible unless it falls into one of certain recognized
exceptions. To qualify as a business record, a writing must: (1) be made in the
regular course of business, (2) within a short time of the events described in
it, and (3) under circumstances that indicate its trustworthiness. Foundational
reports for breath testing, with certain qualifications, are admissible under
the business record exception to the hearsay rule. Here, however, the DDR
contains a narrative account of what the officer saw at the scene and includes
factual statements, observations, and the officer’s opinions. Thus, the DDR
contains inadmissible hearsay. Although the DDQ also does not appear initially
to constitute hearsay, it incorporates by reference the DWI report in the
“remarks” section and the DWI report, in turn, contains several inadmissible
opinions. The DDQ’s content thus also rises to the level of inadmissible
hearsay and must be excluded. Therefore, the DDR and the DDQ were inadmissible
hearsay outside the scope of the business records exception.
5. Here, the municipal court heard
defendant’s testimony concerning the events on the day of the incident, as well
as the testimony of Officer Serritella. The court found the Officer’s testimony
more credible than defendant’s and therefore found defendant guilty. The
court’s credibility determinations, however, were made after the DDR and the
DDQ were admitted into evidence, notwithstanding the impermissible hearsay
statements they contained, and after the Alcotest results were admitted into
evidence despite the lack of requisite foundational documents.
The cumulative effect of the inclusion of
the DDR, the DDQ, and the Alcotest results may have tilted the municipal
court’s credibility findings. Thus, the Court lacks sufficient confidence in
the proceedings to sanction the result reached and concludes that the interests
of justice require a new trial. It is only because of the unique confluence of
events in this case – the inappropriate admission of the Alcotest results as
well as the DDR and DDQ – that the Court remands for a new trial. Had the only
flaw been the admission of the DDR and DDQ, which contained hearsay, Officer
Serritella’s testimony would have alleviated much of that problem. Here,
however, the cumulative effect of the errors may have tilted the municipal
court’s credibility findings.
The judgment of the Appellate Division
was REVERSED
8. State
v. Witt __ NJ __ (2015) Warrantless auto search permitted on probable cause
State v. William L. Witt (A-9-14) (074468)
Argued April 14, 2014 -- Decided September 24, 2015
ALBIN, J., writing for a majority of the Court.
The
exigent-circumstances standard set forth in Pena-Flores is unsound in principle
and unworkable in practice. Citing Article I, Paragraph 7 of New Jersey’s State
Constitution, the Court returns to the standard articulated in State v. Alston,
88 N.J. 211 (1981), for warrantless searches of automobiles based on probable
cause: The automobile exception authorizes the warrantless search of an
automobile only when the police have probable cause to believe that the vehicle
contains contraband or evidence of an offense and the circumstances giving rise
to probable cause are unforeseeable and spontaneous.
9. Prior DWI counts for enhanced refusal. State v. Frye 217 NJ. 566 (2014)
The court reaffirms it’s holding in In re Bergwall, 85 N.J.
382 (1981). A prior DWI conviction may
enhance the sentence for a subsequent refusal conviction under the refusal
statute. N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a.
10. Supervising chemist can testify
in vehicular homicide if they independently verified correctness of blood test
results State v. Michaels 219 NJ 1 (2014)
Defendant’s confrontation rights were not violated by the admission of Dr.
Barbieri’s report or his testimony regarding the blood tests and his
conclusions drawn therefrom. Dr. Barbieri was knowledgeable about the testing
process, independently verified the correctness of the machine-tested processes
and results, and formed an independent conclusion about the results.
Defendant’s opportunity to cross-examine Dr. Barbieri satisfied her right to
confrontation on the forensic evidence presented against her.
11 Supervising chemist can testify in rape
case if they independently verified correctness of DNA results State v.
Roach 219 NJ 58
(2014)
Defendant’s confrontation rights
were not violated by the testimony of the analyst who matched his DNA profile
to the profile left at the scene by the perpetrator. Defendant had the
opportunity to confront the analyst who personally reviewed and verified the
correctness of the two DNA profiles that resulted in a highly significant statistical
match inculpating him as the perpetrator. In the context of testing for the
purpose of establishing DNA profiles.
12 Defendant has burden to timely to object to
testimony by pathologist who did not perform the victim’s
autopsy State v. Williams 219
NJ 89 (2014)
Defendant’s failure to object to the admission of the testimony on
confrontation grounds and his decision to cross-examine the medical examiner
constitute a waiver of his right of confrontation.
13. Driver is not subject to criminal driving
while suspended if DWI suspension period expired prior to driving
State v Perry 439 NJ Super. 514 (App. Div. 2015)
N.J.S.A. 2C:40-26(a) and (b)
make driving while suspended under specified circumstances a fourth-degree
crime, punishable by a mandatory minimum jail term of 180 days, where the
underlying suspension arose from driving while intoxicated (DWI), N.J.S.A.
39:4-50, and/or refusal to submit to chemical testing, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4(a).
The court concluded in these appeals that prosecutions under the statute can be
brought only if the act of driving while suspended occurs during the
court-imposed term of suspension.
Note- Ken V successfully represented four of the winning parties before
the Law Division. The Appellate Division affirmed the well-reasoned opinion of
Hon. Douglas Wolfson JSC.
14. Driving
While Suspended Conviction Upheld Although DWI Conviction Vacated. State v.
Sylvester 437 N.J. Super. 1 (App. Div.
2014)
N.J.S.A. 2C:40-26b makes it a fourth degree offense
to drive while one's license is suspended or revoked for a second or subsequent
conviction for driving a car while under the influence of alcohol (DWI). In a
bench trial before the Law Division on this charge, defendant argued that her
second DWI conviction had been voided ab initio by the municipal court when it
granted her PCR petition two months after she was indicted for one count of
violating N.J.S.A. 2C:40-26b. Thus, defendant argues the State cannot rely on
this vacated second DWI conviction to meet its burden of proof under N.J.S.A.
2C:40-26b. The trial court rejected this argument. The Appellate Division
affirmed.
It is undisputed that at the time defendant
committed this offense, she was aware her driver's license had been revoked by
a presumptively valid second conviction for DWI. The court relied on State v.
Gandhi, 201 N.J. 161, 190 (2010) to hold that a second DWI conviction vacated
through PCR granted by a court after a defendant engages in conduct prohibited
in N.J.S.A. 2C:40-26b, cannot be applied retroactively to bar a conviction
under this statute.
15. If
mandatory 180 days without parole, can’t get credit for inpatient State
v. French 437 NJ Super. 333 (App. Div 2014)
A
sentence of 90 days in jail followed by 90 days in an inpatient drug
rehabilitation program does not satisfy the "fixed minimum sentence of not
less than 180 days during which the defendant shall not be eligible for
parole" mandated for the fourth-degree crime of operating a motor vehicle
during a period of license suspension for multiple convictions of driving while
intoxicated. N.J.S.A. 2C:40-26(b).
16 DWI offenses separated by more than ten years are eligible for
“step-down” provision. State v. Revie 220 NJ 126 (2014) A-31-13
The N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(a)(3)
“step-down” provision can benefit a DWI offender more than once, provided that
the defendant’s most recent and current DWI offenses are separated by more than
ten years. In this case, defendant
should be sentenced as a second DWI offender with respect to any term of
incarceration imposed, and as a third DWI offender with respect to the
applicable administrative penalties.
17. DL suspension should not be stayed
after conviction unless findings of fact. State v Robertson 438 N.J.Super.47 (App. Div. 2014)
In this appeal from a DWI conviction, the court rejects
defendant's argument that the Alcotest results should have been excluded
because he was denied discovery of certain repair records, which were created
by the Alcotest's manufacturer, and certain downloaded data, which the State routinely
erases. The court concludes the records were not discoverable under Rule 7:7-7,
nor did they constitute Brady material.
The court also addressed the
unexplained decisions of both the municipal court and the Law Division to stay
defendant's license suspension pending appeal. The court instructs trial courts
that any stay of a license suspension after a DWI conviction should be
supported by adequate findings of fact and conclusions of law, and should
comply with standards governing the grant of a stay pending appeal set forth in
Garden State Equality v. Doe, 216 N.J. 314, 320 (2013).
18 No home release or
wristlet if mandatory 180 jail
State v Harris 439 NJ Super. 150
(App. Div. 2015)
Following the recent opinion in State v. French, 437 N.J. Super.
333 (App. Div. 2014), the court hold that a defendant convicted of violating
either N.J.S.A. 2C:40-26a or N.J.S.A. 2C:40-26b must be sentenced to at least
180 days in jail without parole. French held that a sentence to an in-patient
drug rehabilitation program in lieu of jail was an illegal sentence under
section 26b. The court conclude that, under section 26a or 26b, a sentence to
any other non-custodial alternative program, such as a home detention program
(HEDS) or a community service program (CSLS), is likewise illegal.
19 Failure to read refusal warnings not a
defense to DWI State v Peralta 437
NJ Super. 570 (App.Div 2014)
In this appeal, defendant argued the police failure to read to him the
standard statement referred to in N.J.S.A. 39:4 50.2(e) – which, in its current
iteration, largely but not entirely advises of the consequences of refusing to
provide a breath sample – requires reversal of his DWI conviction based solely
on an Alcotest reading. The court held this alleged failure was not fatal to
the DWI conviction because defendant did not refuse to provide a breath sample.
20 DWI
statute and Alcotest not unconstitutional. State v. Campbell 436 N.J.
Super. 264 (App. Div. 2014)
Defendant's prosecution was based upon an Alcotest reading
of his blood alcohol content ("BAC") above the per se level of .08
prohibited by N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(a). He argues that case law authorizing the
admission of Alcotest BAC results when the prerequisites for such admissibility
are shown by "clear-and-convincing" proof, coupled with the statute's
conclusively incriminating treatment of a BAC at or above .08, improperly
combine to relieve the State of its constitutional burden of proving a driver's
guilt by the more rigorous standard of proof "beyond a reasonable
doubt."
The Court rejects defendant's claim of
unconstitutionality. The argument fails to distinguish the State's threshold
burden of establishing the Alcotest's evidential admissibility from the State's
ultimate burden at trail of establishing defendant's guilt of a per se offense
beyond a reasonable doubt. Even if a pretrial motion to suppress the BAC
results has been denied, a defendant can still present competing evidence or
arguments at trial to persuade the court that the testing procedures were
flawed and that his guilt has not been proven by the more stringent reasonable
doubt standard.
21
Court permits police to
ignore guidelines requiring Alcohol influence report be given to DWI suspects
State v Sorensen __
NJ Super. __ (App. Div. 2015) A-3797-13T4
After the Law Division suppressed defendant's blood alcohol content
(BAC) results, it sentenced her on her guilty plea to driving under the
influence. Nonetheless, the State's appeal of the suppression was not barred by
double jeopardy because defendant had entered a conditional plea to, and been
sentenced for, the per se violation in Municipal Court.
The Law Division suppressed the BAC results because
the Alcotest operator did not give a copy of the Alcohol Influence Report (AIR)
to the arrestee in the police station. Although State v. Chun, 194 N.J. 54, 82
(2008), said the operator "must" do so, that comment about
recommended Alcotest procedure did not override the statutory standard only
requiring the police to give a copy of the breath test results upon request.
N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.2(b). In any event, the timing of copy delivery does not
affect the validity of the test results. Moreover, police must advise arrestees
of their ability to request a copy and to get an independent test. Therefore,
suppression is not warranted in the absence of prejudice. Furthermore, a
suppression remedy should not be imposed retroactively.
Judge Sabatino concurs in the result. Given the time-sensitive dissipation
of alcohol in the bloodstream, he believes Chun sensibly requires the operator
to provide a copy of the AIR contemporaneously, consistent with the policies of
the Attorney General and the State Police, and that the statute does not
foreclose affording such added procedural protection to tested drivers.
He agrees that suppression in this case and retroactive relief are not
warranted.
22 Ten year step down in DWI also
applies to refusal. State v Taylor 440 NJ Super. 387 (App. Div. 2015)
In 2013,
defendant Thomas Taylor entered a conditional guilty plea to refusal to submit
to a breath test, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.2, reserving the right "to appeal []
any and all issues, including sentencing." Although defendant had no prior
convictions for refusal, he had two prior convictions for driving while intoxicated
(DWI), N.J.S.A. 39-4-50, in 1985 and 1996. The trial court sentenced defendant
as a "third offender," using his DWI convictions to enhance the
penalty for his refusal conviction.
On
appeal, defendant argues that the "step-down" provision of the DWI
statute, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(a)(3), should apply so as to reduce his refusal
conviction from a third to a second offense for sentencing purposes since it
followed more than ten years after his second DWI conviction. The court agreed
and held that where the penalty attendant to a driver's refusal conviction is
enhanced by a prior conviction under the DWI statute, fairness dictates that it
be similarly reduced by the sentencing leniency accorded a driver under the
"step-down" provision of that statute when there is a hiatus of ten
years or more between offenses.
23 Police did not have reason to order passenger out of car. State v
Bacome 440 NJ Super. 228 (App. Div. 2015)
Based on speculation that defendant and a passenger in his vehicle were
involved in illegal drug activity, police officers attempted to follow but lost
sight of the vehicle in or near Newark and waited in Woodbridge for its return.
Once the vehicle returned, the officers stopped it, ostensibly because the
passenger was not wearing his seatbelt. On approaching, an officer, who did not
testify, observed defendant reach under his seat. Both driver and passenger
were then ordered out of the vehicle; after the passenger exited, an officer
was able to observe in plain view materials that suggested drug usage. Based on
that observation, a warrantless search of the vehicle ensued, and illegal drugs
were found.
Because defendant's mere entry into
and departure from Newark did not permit a reasonable suspicion of illegal drug
activity and because the State had failed to present facts "that would
create in a police officer a heightened awareness of danger" if the
passenger were allowed to remain in the vehicle, State v. Smith,
134 N.J. 599, 618 (1994), the court found no sufficient ground for the ordering
of the passenger out of the vehicle and reversed the denial of the suppression
motion.
24 Jail Alternative
allowed in 3-40(e) and 6B:2. State v. Toussaint 440 N.J. Super. 526 (App.Div. 2015)
When a defendant is convicted under N.J.S.A. 39:3-40(e) (being involved in
an accident that causes injury to another, while driving with a suspended
license), or N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2 (driving without insurance), the court has
discretion to permit the defendant to serve the sentence in an electronic
monitoring program instead of in the county jail. In construing those
provisions, we distinguished State v. French, 437 N.J. Super.
333, 335 (App. Div. 2014), certif. denied, 200 N.J. 575 (2015), which held that
N.J.S.A. 2C:40-26(c) did not permit sentencing alternatives for driving during
a second or subsequent license suspension imposed for DWI.
25 OPRA can require town and police to provide video of security camera. Gilleran
v. Twp. of Bloomfield 440 N.J. Super. 490 (App.Div. 2015)
The
Open Public Records Act (OPRA) does not include a blanket exemption for video
recordings made from an outdoor security camera. To justify denying an OPRA
request pursuant to the definitional exclusions contained in N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1
for "security information," "procedures," "measures,"
and "techniques," the government agency must make a specific showing
of why disclosure would jeopardize the security of the facility or put the
safety of persons or property at risk.
Because we agree with the
trial court that the township did not make a sufficiently specific showing for
an exemption, we need not decide whether N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(g) requires a
government agency to review requested recordings and redact only actual
confidential information, as argued by plaintiff and the ACLU. Such a
requirement of review and redaction seems
impractical and virtually impossible to implement when the request is
for lengthy surveillance recordings, such as the fourteen hours of recordings
requested here by plaintiff.
26 Bias statute
requires proof of defendant intended bias, not victim perception and statute
unconstitutional. State v. Pomianek 221 N.J. 66 (N.J. 2015).
Subsection (a)(3) of the
bias-intimidation statute, N.J.S.A. 2C:16-1, fails to give adequate notice of
conduct that it proscribes, is unconstitutionally vague, and violates the Due
Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
27 Police should not have ordered
driver out of car on traffic stop. State v. Keaton ___NJ ___ (2015) (A-92-13)
The law enforcement officer was required to provide defendant with the
opportunity to present his credentials before entering the vehicle. If after
giving a defendant that opportunity, he or she is unable or unwilling to
produce the registration or insurance information, only then may an officer
conduct a search for those credentials. Here, because defendant was never
provided with such an opportunity, the seizure of the contraband was unlawful
under the plain view doctrine. Further, the community-caretaking doctrine was
inapplicable because there was no need for an immediate warrantless search to
preserve life or property.
28. Court
should have adjourned case for defendant to hire own attorney. State v.
Martinez 440 NJ Super. 537 (App.
Div. 2015)
The court
examined the tension between a trial court's discretionary "authority to
control its own calendar" by denying an adjournment request and the need
to safeguard "a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to a fair opportunity to
secure counsel of his own choice" in light of State v. Miller, 216 N.J. 40, 62, 65 (2013). Guided by the
framework for review set forth in State v.
Hayes, 205 N.J. 522 (2011), the court concluded the denial of defendant's
request to adjourn trial, without weighing the facts presented supporting the
requested adjournment, reflects an arbitrary exaltation of expedience in case
processing at the expense of defendant's right to counsel. Accordingly, the
court vacated the judgment of conviction and remands the matter for a new
trial.
29 Accident with unconscious driver
was exigency for police to take blood. State v.
Jones ___NJ Super. ___ (App. Div. 2015) A-0793-13T1
In Missouri v. McNeely, 133 S. Ct. 1552 (2013),
the United States Supreme Court considered whether "the natural
metabolization of alcohol in the bloodstream presents a per se exigency that
justifies an exception to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement for
nonconsensual blood testing in all drunk-driving cases." Id. 133 S. Ct. at
1556, (emphasis added). Concluding that fact alone did not present a "per
se exigency," the Supreme Court held, "consistent with general Fourth
Amendment principles, that exigency in this context must be determined case by
case based on the totality of the circumstances." Ibid. This matter was
summarily remanded to the court by the Supreme Court for reconsideration in
light of the Court's decision in State v.
Adkins, ___ N.J. ___ (2015), holding that the totality of the circumstances
analysis described in McNeely should be given pipeline retroactivity.
This was not a routine DWI case in which the
dissipation of blood alcohol was the sole basis for determining an exigency
existed. To the contrary, defendant caused a multiple vehicle accident at a
busy intersection and crashed into a building, raising concern the building
would collapse. Numerous police, firefighters and emergency medical services
personnel responded to the scene, where the investigation took hours. It took
one-half hour to extricate defendant, who was unconscious, from her badly
damaged vehicle. Both she and a passenger in another car had to be transported
to the hospital.
Viewing the
totality of the circumstances, the court is satisfied that an objective
exigency existed and that the officer "might reasonably have believed that
he was confronted with an emergency, in which the delay necessary to obtain a
warrant, under the circumstances, threatened 'the destruction of
evidence[.]'" Schmerber, supra, 86 S.
Ct. at 1835. The court finds no reason to disturb our prior decision reversing
the order that suppressed the results of the blood sample analysis.
30. Defendant asking to speak with uncle counts as Miranda right to
remain silent
State v. Maltese 221 NJ 611
(2015)
Because defendant’s statement to his uncle occurred after officers violated
his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, that statement is inadmissible.
Defendant’s subsequent statement to police was fruit of the unconstitutionally
obtained statement to his uncle and must also be suppressed. Thus, defendant’s
convictions for manslaughter and murder are reversed. His other convictions are
affirmed because they are supported by evidence independent of the suppressed
statements. On remand, the trial court shall conduct a pretrial hearing to
determine whether the physical evidence obtained as a result of defendant’s
suppressed statements is admissible under the inevitable discovery exception to
the exclusionary rule.
31 Police have pc if odor of pot State v Myers __ NJ Super.
__ (App. Div. 2015)
A-4295-12T4
The
odor of marijuana has long been held to provide probable cause of the
commission of a marijuana offense. Under the New Jersey Compassionate Use
Medical Marijuana Act (CUMMA), N.J.S.A. 24:6I-1 to -16, registered qualifying
patients receive registry identification cards, and their medical use of
marijuana as authorized by the CUMMA is exempt from criminal liability under
N.J.S.A. 2C:35-18. Where, as here, there is no evidence that the person
suspected of possessing or using marijuana has a registry identification card,
the odor of marijuana still provides probable cause of the commission of a
marijuana offense. Here, the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from defendant's
car gave the officer probable cause to arrest him for a marijuana offense
committed in the officer's presence
__ Top new Law: New law
finally establishes a
Conditional Dismissal for 1st time offenders in Municipal Court. Ken Vercammen testified in favor of the
passage before the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
Governor Chris Christie signed
into law legislation co-sponsored by Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman
(R-Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset) to provide a Conditional
Dismissal program in Municipal Court for certain first-time offenders. The law
took affect in January 2014. However, the law requires a defendant to plead
guilty as a part of the program.
“This initiative will give a
broader range of first-time offenders who have committed a minor offense an
opportunity to turn their lives around,” Bateman said. “The program will help
foster participants’ rehabilitation and future success by giving them
appropriate penalties without having the offense be a part of their permanent
criminal record.” This law also helps Police and Prosecutors since it requires
a guilty plea, thus reducing the need for trials and officer testimony.
Under prior law, the only
offenses eligible for a conditional discharge were certain drug-related
offenses. Bateman’s S-2588 allows discharge for many non-drug offenses, such as
disorderly person’s offenses, which have not been able to participate in
similar programs before.
Under this law, conditional
dismissal is not available to any person who has previously participated in a
conditional discharge, conditional dismissal, or supervisory treatment program
such as PTI. In addition, a person is not eligible for conditional dismissal if
the offense for which the person is charged involves certain offenses.
After taking into consideration the
eligibility criteria, the defendant’s criminal history and the prosecutor’s
recommendation, the court may, approve the defendant’s participation in the
conditional dismissal program and place the defendant under a probation
monitoring status for a period of one year.
This law establishes a conditional
dismissal program in municipal court similar to the existing supervisory
treatment programs for pre-trial intervention and conditional discharge.
FINGERPRINTING REQUIREMENT.
To allow sufficient time for verification of the defendant’s criminal history
by the prosecutor and as a condition of the application, the defendant will be
required to submit to the fingerprint identification procedures as provided in
R.S.53:1-15 before making an application to the court.
A person who is charged with a
disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense involving drugs or drug
paraphernalia may apply for a conditional discharge in accordance with
N.J.S.2C:36A-1.
In addition to these eligibility criteria,
the court considering the application must also consider the following factors:
the nature and circumstances of the offense; the facts surrounding the commission
of the offense; the motivation, age, character and attitude of the defendant;
the desire of the complainant or victim to forego prosecution; the needs and
interests of the victim and the community; the extent to which the defendant’s
offense constitutes part of a continuing pattern of anti-social behavior;
whether the offense is of an assaultive or violent nature, either in the act
itself or in the possible injurious consequences of such behavior; whether the
applicant's participation will adversely affect the prosecution of
codefendants; whether diversion of the defendant from prosecution is consistent
with the public interest; and any other factors deemed relevant by the court.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. After taking
into consideration the eligibility criteria, the defendant’s criminal history
and the prosecutor’s recommendation, the court may approve the defendant’s
participation in the conditional dismissal program and
place the defendant under a probation monitoring status for a period of
one year. The court may also impose financial obligations and other terms and
conditions in accordance with the law. The law permits the
defendant to apply to the court for an extension of the term of conditional
dismissal to allow sufficient time to pay financial obligations imposed by the
court. In addition, a judge could extend the term for good cause.
If a defendant who is participating in
conditional dismissal is convicted of any offense or crime under any law
of the United States, this State or any other state, or otherwise fails to
comply with the terms and conditions imposed by the court, the court can enter
a judgment of conviction and impose a fine, penalty, or other assessment in
accordance with the defendant’s prior plea of guilty or prior finding of guilt.
If, at the end of the term, the defendant
has not been convicted of any subsequent offense or crime under any law
of the United States, this State or any other state, and has complied with any
other terms and conditions imposed by the court, the court may terminate the
probation monitoring and dismiss the proceedings against the defendant.
The law provides that a conditional
dismissal of a petty disorderly persons or disorderly persons offense granted
pursuant to the program will not be deemed a conviction for purposes of
disqualifications or disabilities, but shall be reported to the State Bureau of
Identification criminal history record information files for purposes of
determining future eligibility or exclusion from court diversion
programs. A conditional dismissal granted will not be deemed a conviction
for the purposes of determining whether a second or subsequent offense has
occurred under any law of this State.
CONDITIONAL DISMISSAL APPLICATION FEE AND
ASSESSMENT. A person applying for admission to the conditional dismissal
program will pay to the court an application fee of $75.
The law allows the defendant to apply for
a waiver of the fee by reason of poverty. The court may also permit the
defendant to pay the conditional dismissal fee and other assessments in
installments or order other alternatives pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2009,
c.317 (C.2B:12-23.1).
Under the current provisions of the
conditional discharge statute, a person is not eligible for conditional
discharge if that person has committed a disorderly persons or petty disorderly
persons drug offense under any law of the United States, this State or any
other state. The law amends section a. of N.J.S.2C:36A-1 to also provide that a
person who has participated in any supervisory treatment program or the
conditional dismissal program established under the law will not be eligible
for participation in the conditional discharge program.
SUPERVISORY TREATMENT (PTI). Similar
to the conditional discharge statute, the PTI statute, N.J.S.2C:43-12, provides
that the $75 fee charged for the program is used to defray the costs of juror
compensation. Since these monies are no longer used to defray the costs of
juror compensation, the law updates this section of law accordingly.
You can only receive one PTI,
Conditional Dismissal or Conditional Discharge in your life. Some attorneys and
clients want to “save” PTI for use later and not take a Conditional Dismissal
for a minor criminal charge.
Kenneth Vercammen is an Edison, Middlesex
County, NJ trial attorney where he
handles Criminal, Municipal Court, Probate, Civil Litigation and Estate
Administration matters. Ken is author of the American Bar Association's new book
“Criminal Law Forms” and often lectures to trial lawyers of the American Bar
Association, NJ State Bar Association and Middlesex County Bar
Association. As the Past Chair of the Municipal Court Section he has served on
its board for 10 years.
Awarded
the Municipal Court Attorney of the Year by both the NJSBA and Middlesex County
Bar Association, he also received the NJSBA- YLD Service to the Bar Award and
the General Practitioner Attorney of the Year, now Solo Attorney of the Year.
Ken
Vercammen is a highly regarded lecturer on both Municipal Court/ DWI and
Estate/ Probate Law issues for the NJICLE- New Jersey State Bar Association, American
Bar Association, and Middlesex County Bar Association. His articles have been
published by NJ Law Journal, ABA Law Practice Management Magazine, YLD Dictum,
GP Gazette and New Jersey Lawyer magazine.
He was a speaker at the 2013 ABA Annual meeting program “Handling the Criminal Misdemeanor and Traffic
Case” and serves as is the Editor in Chief of the NJ Municipal Court Law
Review.
For
nine years he served as the Cranbury Township Prosecutor and also was a Special
Acting Prosecutor in nine different towns. Ken has successfully handled over one
thousand Municipal Court and Superior Court matters in the past 27 years.
His
private practice has devoted a substantial portion of professional time to the
preparation and trial of litigated matters. Appearing in Courts throughout New
Jersey several times each week on Criminal and Municipal Court trials, civil and
contested Probate hearings. Ken also serves
as the Editor of the popular legal website and related blogs. In Law School he
was a member of the Law Review, winner of the ATLA trial competition and top
ten in class.
Throughout his career he has served the
NJSBA in many leadership and volunteer positions. Ken has testified for the
NJSBA before the Senate Judiciary Committee to support changes in the DWI law
to permit restricted use driver license and interlock legislation. Ken also
testified before the Assembly Judiciary Committee in favor of the first-time
criminal offender “Conditional Dismissal” legislation which permits dismissal
of some criminal charges. He is the voice of the Solo and Small firm attorneys
who juggle active court practice with bar and community activities. In his private life
he has been a member of the NJ State champion Raritan Valley Road Runners
master’s team and is a 4th degree black belt.
KENNETH VERCAMMEN
ATTORNEY
AT LAW
2053 Woodbridge Ave.
Edison, NJ 08817
(Phone) 732-572-0500
