State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Alan Segars, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed the Appellate Division, holding that the defendant bears the ultimate burden of proving racial targeting in an MDT check and that the State must produce a race‑neutral explanation; the appellate courts may not defer to the municipal court’s credibility findings when the officer’s testimony is contradicted and no explanation is offered. Justice LONG, dissenting, would have affirmed the Appellate Division’s deference to the trial court.