State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Steven Anthony Galloway, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed the murder conviction because the trial court failed to give a proper diminished‑capacity instruction, and remanded for a new trial on the child‑endangerment charge, limiting the State to a fourth‑degree offense. The Court affirmed that the murder instruction on purposeful/knowing murder was adequate and that the defendant’s confession was voluntary. Justice O’Hern, in a concurring opinion, warned that the recent constitutional amendment may require re‑examining the mental‑state requirement for serious‑bodily‑injury murder.