State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Appellant v. Richard A. Barone, Defendant-Respondent

Summary

The New Jersey Supreme Court reversed the Appellate Division and reinstated the defendant's convictions, holding that the federal court's finding of a good‑faith breach of a plea agreement does not bind the state court and that comity does not obligate the state to defer to federal factual findings absent bad faith. The Court affirmed the trial court's independent‑source analysis and upheld the convictions.