State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. John Joseph Kociolek, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed Kociolek’s first‑degree murder conviction, holding that the trial jury was not impaneled in accordance with N.J.S. 2A:74‑9 and related statutory requirements, and that errors concerning attorney‑client privilege, admission of prior crimes, and jury‑selection procedures warranted a new trial. The Court also addressed the privilege protecting psychiatric communications retained for the defense and the admissibility of photographs of the victim. Justice Vanderbilt, dissenting, argued that the statutory violation was technical, non‑prejudicial, and should not have resulted in reversal.