State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Edgardo Gonzalez, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that collateral estoppel applies to a co‑defendant who was not a party to a prior suppression hearing, so the earlier ruling that the search was unlawful precludes the State from relitigating the issue and requires suppression of the seized evidence; the Court reversed the Appellate Division’s affirmation of the cocaine conviction and remanded for entry of a suppression order, also amending the rule on joinder of co‑indictee motions.