State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Leslie A. Nelson, A/K/A Glen Nelson, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the State's failure to disclose Detective Norcross's civil complaint violated Brady and required vacating the death sentence and remanding for a new sentencing trial. The Court also found the jury instruction to disregard the likelihood of consecutive sentences to be error but harmless, and noted the improper use of the defendant's political beliefs as evidence without deciding its reversibility. Justice Handler, dissenting, would have reversed on all three grounds. Justice Coleman, dissenting in part, would have affirmed the death sentence.