State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Darryl Pitts, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed the murder convictions but reversed the death sentence for the murder of Stacey Elizardo, finding the trial court's jury instructions on aggravating and mitigating factors non‑compliant with State v. Biegenwald and remanding for a new sentencing proceeding. The Court also upheld the denial of a severance motion, rejected the need for an aggravated‑manslaughter instruction, and found no reversible error in excluding sodium‑amytal expert testimony.