The State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Elber Cooper Lucas, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed the murder conviction of Elber Cooper Lucas, holding that the confession was properly corroborated by independent evidence and that the M'Naghten rule remains the governing standard for insanity. The Court rejected the defendant's arguments on lack of corroboration, trial‑court charges, and insanity defenses. Justice Weintraub, in a concurring opinion, agreed with the result but offered a different rationale for retaining the M'Naghten test.