State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Appellant v. Manuel Perez, Defendant-Respondent

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the State presented sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to find the defendant guilty of both child luring and attempted child endangerment, reversing the Appellate Division and reinstating the trial court's convictions. The Court interpreted the child‑luring statute as requiring only an attempt to lure a child with a criminal purpose and applied the substantial‑step requirement to the attempted child‑endangerment charge. Justice Zazzali, concurring in part and dissenting in part, agreed with the child‑luring conviction but argued the evidence did not satisfy the substantial‑step element for attempted child endangerment. The decision was issued for publication.