State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Steven R. Fortin, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey vacated Steven Fortin's capital murder conviction and death sentence, finding the trial court erred by limiting voir dire on other‑crime evidence, by admitting Hazelwood’s expert testimony without a reliable database, and by improperly handling ex post facto and sentencing issues. The Court also clarified that aggravating factors need not be presented to a grand jury when the guilt phase began before this opinion. Justice Verniero filed a partial concurrence/dissent.