State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Egon Leggeadrini, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that a sentence of 25 to 30 years for second‑degree murder was manifestly excessive given the defendant's age, lack of prior record, and mitigating circumstances, and therefore modified the sentence to a term of 7 to 10 years. The Court affirmed its authority to intervene where a sentencing judge's discretion results in an abuse of discretion and emphasized the need to balance deterrence with individual mitigating factors.