State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Daron Josephs, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed the defendant's non‑capital murder convictions, reversed the death sentences because the sequential jury instructions on own‑conduct murder and accomplice liability were not harmless, and reaffirmed the constitutionality of the state death‑penalty statute. Justices Coleman and Long filed separate concurring‑in‑part/dissenting‑in‑part opinions criticizing the majority’s approach to the "by own conduct" issue and the death‑penalty’s constitutionality.