State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Thomahl S. Cook, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed Thomahl Cook's murder conviction, holding that his statements were admissible because there was no Reed violation, no due‑process requirement for electronic recording, and the statements were voluntary and corroborated. The Court also affirmed the trial court's exclusion of third‑party murder evidence as a proper discretionary ruling. Additionally, the Court ordered the creation of a committee to study electronic recording of custodial interrogations. Justice LONG dissented, arguing that all custodial interrogations should be electronically recorded.