State of New Jersey, Plaintiff v. George Horton, Defendant. Appeal of Herbert F. Myers, Jr., and Herbert Koransky…

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey examined the meaning of “reasonable compensation” for court‑appointed counsel in murder cases and concluded that the trial court’s flat $1,500 award to each attorney was arbitrary. The Court held that reasonable compensation is not the full private‑client rate but a discretionary amount based on the nature and extent of services, guided by legislative intent and comparative jurisdictional practice. Accordingly, the Court set aside the award and remanded for a new determination consistent with those principles.