Criminal Law Blog

The Appellate panel continued in relevant part: Accordingly, in light of Crawford, Berezansky, and Buda, the decision by the court below dispensing with the opportunity for cross-examination of the nurse who drew defendant's blood cannot be countenanced. We therefore...

The Court continued in relevant part: The State's argument that N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-11 should not be construed to require the State to produce the nurse who drew the blood because of the pragmatic considerations involved in securing such appearance at a trial a...

The Court continued in relevant part: Here, we have no difficulty in finding the certification to be testimonial. If a statement of a child about his injuries is deemed testimonial when the immediate emergency has passed, then certainly a certification prepared for...

The Renshaw Court continued in relevant part: Thus, in Berezansky, while discussing Simbara, we noted the Court's rejection of the argument that a technician's compliance with the procedures of N.J.S.A. 2C:35-19 was a justification for dispensing with the right of...

The three-judge panel continued in relevant part: Next, the State argues that defendant's argument should be rejected because it "ignores the pragmatic approach historically adopted by New Jersey courts on issues of this type." The State points to the statute as a...

The Appellate Division continued in relevant part: In the municipal court, and again in the Law Division during the trial de novo, defendant argued that Crawford precludes the State from relying on the contents of the certificate in the absence of testimony from its...

The Court continued in relevant part: The defense called Gary L. Lage as an expert in toxicology and pharmacology with specific stipulated expertise in blood testing. He explained that any number of possible errors in the blood extraction procedures could have...

The Court continued in relevant part: Upon returning to police headquarters, Muller placed the sealed box containing the vials of defendant's blood inside a refrigerator outfitted with specially-designed locked boxes. He removed the key, depositing it through a hole...

The Appellate Division continued in relevant part: Except for Point III, each claim lacks merit. As to Point III, we conclude that the hearsay admission of the "Uniform Certification for Bodily Specimens Taken in a Medically Acceptable Manner," (certification) without...

The next important case to address Confrontation Clause issues was the 2007 New Jersey Appellate Division case of State v. Renshaw. There, a three-judge panel wrote in relevant part: Defendant Robert Renshaw appeals from a conviction for driving while intoxicated, in...