STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. SUPREME LIFE (18-04-0537, BURLINGTON COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (A-5005-18)
Defendant was convicted of the lesser-included offense of passionprovocation manslaughter and attempted murder. His son was acquitted of all charges. The judge sentenced defendant to an aggregate sentence of twenty-years' imprisonment subject to NERA.
Defendant testified in his own behalf at trial, asserting self-defense and defense of his son. Defendant admitted during cross-examination that the statement he provided to police on the night of the incident failed to include critical details, for example, that his son was present or that defendant stabbed the two victims. Defendant admitted that he lied to police.
During the course of his summation, the prosecutor expressed his personal opinion that defendant was guilty, repeatedly called defendant a "liar," told the jury "we know he's a liar," and said defendant's testimony was "a story created by a liar." The court concluded the prosecutor's repeated derogatory comments amounted to plain error requiring reversal.
The court also held the judge's charge was fatally deficient because the judge never told the jury that self-defense and defense of others also applied to passion-provocation manslaughter, and the judge failed to instruct the jury on the lawful use of a weapon for a protective purpose with respect to the two weapons convictions.
