State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Martel Johnson, A/K/A Hassan K. Muhammad, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The New Jersey Supreme Court held that the No Early Release Act's "violent crime" predicate must be proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt and that the Act's mandatory‑minimum sentences do not violate the Eighth Amendment or the New Jersey Constitution. The Court also limited the new construction to prospective cases and affirmed the appellant's sentence.