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APPEALS ADDED IN THE NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT LISTED NEWEST TO OLDEST

The following statements of issues on appeal are prepared by the Office of the Clerk for the convenience of the reader. They have been neither reviewed nor approved by the Supreme Court. Please note that, in the interest of brevity, some issues may not have been summarized.

Beginning on July 16, 2010, each appeal summary posted on this website includes its "posted" date, which is necessary for calculating certain due dates for filing briefs and motions under revised Rule 1:13-9, "Amicus Curiae."

In addition, website addresses cited in the Court's opinions may change or disappear over time. An attempt has been made to capture the material cited in an opinion and to provide links to those sources, when available.

A-62-12 State v. Tyrone Steele (072511)

In setting monetary bail, to what extent, if any, may a court consider the threat a defendant poses to the safety of the community?

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  • Leave to appeal granted : May 23, 2013
  • Posted: May 28, 2013
  • Argued: March 17, 2014
  • Order Dismissed - Improvidently granted : July 7, 2014

A-61-12 State v. Fedner Pierre-Louis (071552)

Did trial counsel’s failure to pursue an alibi defense deprive defendant of his constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel?

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  • Certification granted : May 23, 2013
  • Posted: May 28, 2013
  • Argued: Jan. 7, 2014
  • Order Dismissed - Improvidently granted : Feb. 10, 2014

A-60-12 Tahir Zaman v. Barbara Felton (072128)

Does In Re Opinion 26 of the Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, 139 N.J. 323 (1995), which permits a broker to close a real estate transaction without an attorney’s presence subject to certain conditions, apply if the broker represents himself as a party in the transaction; and did the sale of the home coupled with the leaseback agreement constitute a single transaction subject the Consumer Fraud Act, N.J.S.A. 56:8-1 to -184?

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  • Certification granted : May 9, 2013
  • Posted: May 13, 2013
  • Argued: March 18, 2014
  • Order Dismissed - Improvidently granted : Sept. 9, 2014

A-59-12 Cheryl Hersch v. County of Morris (07201433)

Did this employee’s injuries, which occurred when she was struck by a car while walking across a public street to her place of employment from a privately owned garage in which she parked her car at her employer’s expense, arise out of the course of her employment entitling her to benefits under the Workers’ Compensation Act, N.J.S.A. 34:2015-1 to -20142?

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  • Certification granted : May 9, 2013
  • Posted: May 13, 2013
  • Argued: Nov. 19, 2013
  • Decided: April 1, 2014

A-57/58-12 State v. Vonte Skinner (071764)

Did admission of defendant’s rap lyrics constitute reversible error because their probative value was outweighed by the risk of undue prejudice, and did the comments by the assistant prosecutor during closing exceed the boundaries of permissible advocacy?

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  • Appeal as of right (Appellate Division dissent) and certification granted : May 9, 2013
  • Posted: May 13, 2013
  • Argued: April 9, 2014
  • Decided: Aug. 4, 2014

A-55/56-12 L.A. v. New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (071921)

Did the Appellate Division apply the appropriate standard in determining whether a physician had a duty to report child abuse to the Division under N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10?

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  • Certification granted : May 2, 2013
  • Posted: May 3, 2013
  • Argued: Jan. 6, 2014
  • Decided: April 23, 2014

A-54-12 Kwabena Wadeer v. New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. (072010)

Is plaintiff's claim alleging his insurer acted in bad faith by failing to settle his uninsured motorist claim barred because he did not raise the bad faith claim in his earlier uninsured motorist action?

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  • Certification granted : April 26, 2013
  • Posted: April 26, 2013
  • Argued: Sept. 9, 2014
  • Decided: Feb. 18, 2015

A-53-12 State v. Kevin Gamble (071234)

In the circumstances of this case, did the plain view or other exception to the warrant requirement apply to permit the search of the van and seizure of the handgun from the console?

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  • Certification granted : March 27, 2013
  • Posted: March 28, 2013
  • Argued: May 5, 2014
  • Decided: July 29, 2014

A-52-12 State v. Edward Ronald Ates a/k/a Ron Waverly (070926)

Is the New Jersey Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, N.J.S.A. 2A:156A-1 to -34, unconstitutional because it permits New Jersey authorities to intercept telephone calls between individuals located outside of New Jersey?

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  • Certification granted : March 21, 2013
  • Posted: March 25, 2013
  • Argued: Feb. 4, 2014
  • Decided: March 18, 2014

A-49-12 Thomas Saccone v. Board of Trustees of the Police & Firemen's Retirement System (071841)

May plaintiff designate a special needs trust established for the benefit of his disabled son as a beneficiary for the pension death benefits payable under N.J.S.A. 43:2016A-12.1a?

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  • Certification granted : March 13, 2013
  • Posted: March 19, 2013
  • Argued: Feb. 4, 2014
  • Decided: Sept. 11, 2014

A-48-12 Augustine W. Badiali v. New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group (071931)

Under the circumstances presented, was the defendant insurer's rejection of an arbitration award on an uninsured motorist (UM) claim "fairly debatable",thereby barring the plaintiff insured from recovering counsel fees and other consequential damages?

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  • Certification granted : March 13, 2013
  • Posted: March 19, 2013
  • Argued: Sept. 9, 2014
  • Decided: Feb. 18, 2015

A-47-12 State v. John Thomas-El (07201456)

In these bifurcated criminal proceedings before the same jury, must defendant's conviction on the weapons charge in the second trial be reversed where his convictions arising out of the first trial were reversed because of jury instructions that coerced a verdict and for other errors?

  • Certification granted : March 13, 2013
  • Posted: March 19, 2013
  • Dismissed by Order : July 18, 2013

A-46-12 Magic Petroleum Corp. v. Exxon Mobil Corp. (069083)

Under the doctrine of primary jurisdiction, must plaintiff's claims for allocation of liability under the Spill Compensation and Control Act, N.J.S.A. 58:10-23.11 to -23.24, be deferred until the conclusion of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's remediation enforcement actions?

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  • Certification granted : March 8, 2013
  • Posted: March 8, 2013
  • Argued: April 1, 2014
  • Decided: July 28, 2014

A-45-12 State v. Kirby Lenihan (07201497)

Can a violation of the "seat belt law," N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.2f, be a predicate offense to support a criminal conviction under N.J.S.A. 2C:40-18(b), which prohibits knowingly violating a law or failing to perform a duty imposed by a law intended to protect the public health and safety and recklessly causing serious bodily injury?

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  • Certification granted : March 8, 2013
  • Posted: March 8, 2013
  • Argued: Nov. 4, 2013
  • Decided: Sept. 18, 2014

A-44-12 State v. Carlos Bolvito (07201493)

May a sentencing court consider a defendant's ability to pay when imposing a Sex Crime Victims Treatment Fund penalty under N.J.S.A. 2C:2014-10(a)?

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  • Certification granted : Feb. 13, 2013
  • Posted: Feb. 14, 2013
  • Argued: Nov. 6, 2013
  • Decided: March 31, 2014

A-43-12 In the Matter of the Estate of Richard D. Ehrlich (07201437)

Can an unexecuted copy of a purportedly executed original last will and testament be admitted into probate under N.J.S.A. 3B:3-3?

  • Appeal as of right (Appellate Division dissent)
  • Posted: Feb. 12, 2013
  • Dismissed by stipulation of the parties : April 26, 2013

A-42-12 In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of D.Y. SVP 491-08 (07201464)

Is there a constitutional right to self-representation at a commitment hearing under the Sexually Violent Predator Act, N.J.S.A. 30:4-27.24 to -27.38?

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  • Certification granted : Feb. 11, 2013
  • Posted: Feb. 11, 2013
  • Argued: Nov. 19, 2013
  • Reargued: May 5, 2014
  • Decided: July 24, 2014

A-41-12 State v. Diana M. Palma (071228)

What is the standard for imposing a jail sentence for a careless driving offense?

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  • Certification granted : Jan. 30, 2013
  • Posted: Jan. 30, 2013
  • Argued: Sept. 23, 2013
  • Decided: Sept. 30, 2014

A-40-12 State v. Raymond D. Kates (070971 (070971)

Under the circumstances, did the denial of defendant's request for a continuance to hire a private attorney deny defendant his constitutional right to counsel of his choice?

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  • Certification granted : Jan. 24, 2013
  • Posted: Jan. 30, 2013
  • Argued: Nov. 18, 2013
  • Decided: Jan. 14, 2013

A-39-12 In the Matter of the Expungement Application of D.J.B (070973)

Must prior delinquency adjudications for acts that would have been crimes if committed by an adult be counted when considering an application under N.J.S.A. 2C:52-2 for expungement of a subsequent offense committed as an adult, in light of N.J.S.A. 2C:52-4.1, which provides that for "expungement purposes"any act which resulted in a juvenile being adjudged a delinquent shall be classified as if that act had been committed by an adult?

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  • Certification granted : Jan. 24, 2013
  • Posted: Jan. 30, 2013
  • Argued: Oct. 7, 2013
  • Decided: Jan. 16, 2014