State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. James Edward Williams, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed James Edward Williams' murder conviction and death sentence and remanded for a new trial, holding that the trial court's inadequate voir dire—including failure to probe jurors' death‑penalty views and to excuse a biased juror—deprived the defendant of an impartial jury, and that the penalty‑phase jury instructions were erroneous.