State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent and Cross-Appellant v. David Cooper, Defendant-Appellant and Cross-Respondent

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed David Cooper's conviction for purposeful-or-knowing murder and his death sentence, holding that the trial court did not err in jury selection, the admission of his confession, the rejection of a unified‑murder charge, the sequential charging scheme, and the lack of an ultimate‑outcome instruction in the guilt phase. The Court also found the alleged errors regarding juror bias, the depravity aggravating factor, the definition of “purpose,” and the use of graphic photos to be harmless. Justice Stein and Justice Pollock filed separate opinions, with Stein concurring in part and Pollock concurring in part and dissenting in part.