Supreme Court of New Jersey

State v. Michael Owens

January 6, 2026

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed the Appellate Division’s vacatur of Michael Owens’s murder conviction, reinstated his murder and firearm convictions, and remanded for sentencing, holding that a sua sponte instruction on passion/provocation manslaughter is required only when the record “jumps off the page” and that the trial court did not err in admitting aggravated‑assault evidence.