New Jersey Supreme Court upholds life without parole in lieu of death penalty
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently issued a decision which upholds the constitutionality of the State imposing a sentence of life without parole in lieu of the death penalty. In a 5-2 opinion, the NJ Supreme Court held that a defendant's constitutional rights are not violated by the imposition of a sentence of life without parole instead of the death penalty as long as the jury found the same factors necessary for the imposition of the death penalty.
Two defendants, one in Monmouth County and one in Ocean County, had received sentences of life without parole and challenged the constitutionality of these sentences. For additional information on this decision, see the Asbury Park Press article entitled "N.J. court says murderer can get life without parole". As a New Jersey criminal defense attorney, this ruling will have a significant impact on murder cases.
