State v. Lavar Winder

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed the conviction and sentence of Lavar Winder, holding that the trial court’s jury instruction on insanity was legally sufficient because legal and moral wrong are generally coextensive and the case did not present the narrow command‑delusion exception recognized in Worlock. The Court also found the trial court’s voir dire and counsel’s performance adequate, rejecting claims of ineffective assistance and excessive sentencing. Justice LONG filed a concurrence arguing for a broader application of the Worlock instruction, but concurred in the result.