State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Appellant v. Saverio Wayde Buonadonna, Defendant-Respondent; State of New Jersey…

Summary

The Supreme Court held that a defendant’s Bruton right to a separate trial is an intermediate‑level constitutional right that may be waived off the record by counsel, and that counsel’s decision to waive that right was not ineffective assistance of counsel; consequently the Court reversed the Appellate Division and reinstated the defendants’ convictions.