State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Thomas Lykes, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed the Appellate Division’s judgment, holding that the trial court properly admitted evidence of the defendant’s prior handling of cocaine under N.J.R.E. 404(b) with a limiting instruction, and that the trial court’s response to the jury’s question about the knowledge element was correct. Justice ALBIN’s dissent argued the admission violated evidentiary safeguards.