State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Appellant v. Curtis Sims and Ronald Ward, Defendants-Respondents

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the State may seek leave to appeal any grant of a new trial in a criminal case, overturning the LaFera distinction between collateral and record‑based errors, and reversed the trial court’s new‑trial order, reinstating the convictions. Justice Pashmah, in a partial concurrence/dissent, agreed with the result but criticized the majority’s reasoning.