State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Ruth Parker, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed the conviction of Ruth Parker for official misconduct, holding that the general jury instruction on unanimity was sufficient and that her conduct fell within the scope of N.J.S.A. 2C:30-2a. The Court rejected Parker's claim that a specific unanimity instruction was required and concluded the acts were not conceptually distinct. A dissent argued that the lack of a specific instruction violated her right to a unanimous verdict and would have reversed the conviction. The opinion also cites constitutional and procedural authorities supporting its analysis.