STATE OF NEW JERSEY v. TYRONE HENRY

Annotate this Case
NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
                  APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION

                                       SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
                                       APPELLATE DIVISION
                                       DOCKET NO. A-3888-06T4

STATE OF NEW JERSEY,

             Plaintiff-Respondent,

                  v.

TYRONE HENRY,

            Defendant-Appellant.
________________________________

           Submitted October 7, 2009 ­ Decided       January 5, 2010

           Before Judges Cuff and C.L. Miniman.

           On appeal from the Superior Court of New
           Jersey,   Law   Division,    Warren County,
           Indictment No. 03-04-0133-I.

           Yvonne   Smith   Segars,   Public   Defender,
           attorney   for  appellant   (William   Welaj,
           Designated Counsel, on the brief).

           Thomas    S.    Ferguson,   Warren   County
           Prosecutor, attorney for respondent (Dit
           Mosco, Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and
           on the brief).

PER CURIAM

    Defendant Tyrone Henry appeals from a November 29, 2006,

order   denying   his   application   to   vacate   his   conviction   and

permit him to be retried by a jury.        We now reverse.

    Defendant was tried before the bench on December 13, 2004,

and was convicted on Count I of Indictment No. 03-04-0133-I

charging him with third-degree aggravated assault contrary to

N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(7).   He was sentenced to a five-year term on

January 28, 2005, with credit for twenty-five days time served,1

at which time Counts II through IV of Indictment No. 03-04-0133-

I were formally dismissed pursuant to a pretrial suppression

motion the judge had granted.2

     Defendant appealed his conviction and sentence, raising the

following issues on appeal:

          POINT I ­ THE DEFENDANT DID NOT EFFECTIVELY
          WAIVE HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A JURY
          TRIAL. (NOT RAISED BELOW)

          POINT II ­ THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN GRANTING
          THE STATE'S REQUEST TO EXTEND THE INTERSTATE
          AGREEMENT ON DETAINERS.

          POINT III ­ THE SENTENCE       IMPOSED   WAS
          MANIFESTLY EXCESSIVE.

          POINT IV ­ ASSUMING THE COURT DOES NOT
          CONCLUDE THAT THE DEFENDANT'S SENTENCE [WAS]
          MANIFESTLY EXCESSIVE BASED UPON A REVIEW OF
          THE APPLICABLE AGGRAVATING AND MITIGATING
          FACTORS   SUPPORTED  BY   THE  RECORD,   THE
          DEFENDANT IS ENTITLED TO A REMAND PURSUANT
          TO STATE V. NATALE.




1
   An offender search of the records of the Department of
Corrections indicates that defendant has been released from
prison.     https://www6.state.nj.us/DOC_Inmate/results.    This
appeal is not moot, however, because defendant remains on parole
until the expiration of his sentence on January 3, 2011.
2
  Count I of Complaint No. W2002-913-2110 and Counts I and II of
Complaint No. S2002-911-2119 were also dismissed.



                                                         A-3888-06T4
                                 2

      We addressed only the first two points on appeal.                   State v.

Henry, No. A-3427-04 (App. Div. May 15, 2006) (slip op. at 6).

                                          Id. at 10.         However, we remanded
We found no merit to Point II.

the   jury-trial      issue   to   the   judge   for     a   plenary    hearing   to

determine whether defendant's waiver of his constitutional right

to a jury trial met the criteria of State v. Dunne, 124 N.J.

                        Id. at 17-19.        We permitted defendant to "seek
303, 317 (1991).

review   of    that     determination     and    also    renew    his   sentencing

arguments in a new appeal."          Id. at 19.         However, in this appeal

from the remand proceedings, he has not renewed his sentencing

arguments, confining the issues on appeal to the following:

              POINT   I  ­   THE  TRIAL   COURT ERRED   IN
              CONCLUDING    THE     DEFENDANT   KNOWINGLY,
              VOLUNTARILY AND INTELLIGENTLY WAIVED HIS
              RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL.

                   A.     FACTUAL INTRODUCTION.

                   B.   THE TESTIMONY ELICITED AT THE
                   REMAND HEARING DEMONSTRATED THE
                   DEFENDANT   DID    NOT    KNOWINGLY,
                   VOLUNTARILY    AND     INTELLIGENTLY
                   WAIVE HIS RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL,
                   AND THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY
                   CONCLUDING OTHERWISE.

      As a consequence, we limit our discussion of the facts to

those necessary to an understanding of the jury-trial issue.

Defendant and Heather Hanson had a dating relationship and on

December 20, 2002, they had dinner together.                      They began to

argue after dinner because Hanson did not want defendant to


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                                         3

drive her car since he had been drinking.                  He left, but then

made repeated calls to her cell and house phones, which she

never answered.

       Defendant     returned   to     Hanson's     apartment    in    the     early

morning hours of December 21 and they again argued, this time

over her failure to answer his telephone calls.                  He grabbed her

cell phone, they struggled for possession of it, and it broke.

Hanson left her bedroom, where they had been arguing and asked

Jameel Stevens, a mutual friend who was also at her apartment,

if he could fix it, but he said he could not.                   She returned to

her bedroom where defendant was waiting.

       At this point, a physical altercation occurred.                   Hanson's

and     defendant's         accounts         of   the    altercation         varied

substantially,       with    Hanson    accusing     defendant    of    being    the

aggressor and defendant claiming that Hanson punched him in the

face   when   she    returned   to     the    bedroom.    Hanson      denied   ever

hitting him.        Defendant admitted that he swung his arm and hit

her face, causing her to fall to the floor, but testified that

this occurred while he was fending off blows from her.                          She

briefly lost consciousness and awoke on the bathroom floor with

blood on her face.            Neighbors called the police on a noise

complaint and, when the police entered the apartment with the

superintendant's assistance, they arrested defendant.                   The local




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                                         4

rescue      squad      took         Hanson    to       the    hospital,         where       she     was

diagnosed with a broken nose and contusions around her eye.

There were no other documented injuries to Hanson or defendant.

        On the day set for trial of the aggravated-assault charge,

defendant's counsel stated defendant wanted to waive his right

to a trial by jury and proceed with a bench trial.                                      The judge

conducted a limited voir dire of defendant as follows:

               THE COURT:           Mr. Henry, is that correct?

               THE DEFENDANT:              Yes, sir, your Honor.

               THE COURT:   You have                   a right to have this
               matter decided at a                     trial before a jury
               present or a judge.                     It's your choice.  I
               just want to make sure                  it is your choice.

               THE DEFENDANT:              Yes, sir.

               THE COURT:           It is.     Very well, okay.

       On     appeal,         we    found     this      truncated        voir    dire       did     not

                                                               Id. at 17.             Because the
satisfy the requirements of Dunne.

record      was   so      sparse,       we    remanded         the    matter      "for       further

proceedings         in        the    Law     Division         to     ascertain        the     actual

voluntariness            of     defendant's          waiver,       and     for    an        informed

judicial assessment of the defendant's reasons for giving up his

right    to    jury       trial."           Id.    at    18    (citation        omitted).            We

specifically instructed the court to "explore any discussions

that    may    have       taken       place       between      defendant        and     his       trial




                                                                                            A-3888-06T4
                                                   5

counsel on this subject" and to "determine why the request was

not raised until the brink of the trial."              Ibid.

    The     remand   proceedings     took    place     on    October      27,   2006.

First to take the stand was defendant's trial counsel, Rachelle

Jones, a Public Defender who had been assigned to Warren County

shortly     before   meeting    defendant      in    September        2004.         She

testified    that,   after     the   October    8,     2004,      ruling      on    the

suppression    hearing,   defendant        discussed    "whether       or     not    he

wanted to proceed with a jury or go with a bench trial."                        Jones

was surprised at the idea of having a bench trial because in her

experience     criminal      defendants      always         had    jury       trials.

Defendant said that he wanted a bench trial "based on the nature

of the charge that it was an aggravated assault, the fact that

he's a Black man and the victim is White that he would not get a

fair trial in Warren [C]ounty."            He also said that he was "very

comfortable" that the judge "would be fair and listen to his

side in light of the fact that [the judge] granted his motion to

suppress."      After   this   conversation,        Jones     spoke    with     other

defense attorneys in Warren County, "only to find out that, yes,

in this county there were many [b]ench trials."

    Jones acknowledged stating on October 21, 2004, that it was

going to be a jury trial, but explained she "would always put on

the record that [she was] going to use a jury" to avoid making a




                                                                            A-3888-06T4
                                       6

disclosure to the prosecutor so far in advance of the December

trial   date.    She    then   clarified   that   the   discussions   about

waiving a jury occurred after October 21.

     Jones testified that the decision to proceed with a bench

trial was not made on the day of trial; that she knew far in

advance of the trial that a jury would be waived.              She had no

doubt that defendant knew what he was doing because he was an

intelligent man and would speak with her as though he was an

attorney, discussing whether the motion to suppress would be

granted based on Wong Sun.3      Furthermore, his letters were always

articulate; he had been in the criminal justice system since

1997; and she could converse with him on different levels from

other clients.

     Jones explained that, if she felt in any way that he did

not understand his right to a jury trial, she "would have spoken

to him more at length," but he dictated how he wanted things to

be done.    She was very impressed with him because he was a very,

very bright man.       She related that defendant never expressed any

reservation about the correctness of his decision to waive a

jury.      She denied having any recollection of any discussions

with the prosecutor in chambers about waiving a jury.            Although


3
  Wong Sun v. United States, 
371 U.S. 471, 
83 S. Ct. 407, 
9 L. Ed. 2d 441 (1963).



                                                                  A-3888-06T4
                                     7

she testified that she spoke with defendant at length about

waiving a jury, she also testified that "our conversations were

really    limited----well,      we     really       talked       about,    are       you     sure

that's what you want and he was comfortable and confident with

that."

      Defendant's       remand       counsel       asked      Jones       to    relate        the

content of these conversations between October and December; she

replied that they discussed why defendant wanted to waive a jury

and   whether    he    was    sure.      She       did     not    think    defendant          was

correct that an African-American man could not get a fair jury

trial    in   Warren    County.         She       could     not    remember      any        other

content to these conversations.                    She was completely convinced

that defendant wanted a bench trial and did not keep checking to

make sure he had not changed his mind.

      Jones     did    not     tell     defendant          that    there       was     a     jury

selection     process        that     might       answer     his    concerns         about      a

racially prejudiced jury, because he told her he knew Warren

County better than she and knew "what the makeup of the jury

would be."      She did not tell him that a jury verdict had to be

unanimous     because    "he    came     across       as    if     he   knew     the       system

well."    She had no discussions with him about how a jury decides

the case.     If he thought it was by majority vote, she would not

know that.      Defendant did not discuss the fact that one of the




                                                                                       A-3888-06T4
                                              8

grand jurors asked the prosecutor if defendant was Black.                                  She

thought he really wanted a bench trial.

       On    cross-examination           by    the     prosecutor,         Jones    testified

that    defendant      never      told    her       that    he    wanted    a   bench   trial

because he understood that evidence of injuries to Hanson's hand

would not be available in a jury trial.                          She had no recollection

of    ever    discussing       with      defendant         the     requirement      that   the

verdict of twelve jurors had to be unanimous.                            She rejected the

suggestion she had discussed waiving a jury with the prosecutor

several days before trial, explaining that she wanted him to

spend      time   on   his    opening         rather       than    anything     else.      She

explained that she believed at the time that defendant acted

voluntarily, knowingly, and competently in waiving a jury and

that he did so in good faith, without trying to get an unfair

advantage.        She believed at the time that defendant's concern

about a prejudiced jury was a sufficient factor to waive a jury

trial because he felt he could "get a better shot with the

[j]udge because he saw what happened on the motion to suppress."

       Defendant testified next and explained that, when he saw

the    transcript      of    the   grand-jury          proceedings         during    which    a

grand juror asked if he was Black, he was shocked, and because

"Warren [C]ounty is known to be racial," he "felt . . . there

was    a     potential      for    racial       bias."            He   communicated     these




                                                                                     A-3888-06T4
                                                9

concerns about the grand-jury proceedings to Jones and she filed

a motion to dismiss the indictment.                 He also told her that was

one of the reasons he wanted to waive a jury, "but there was

never a major discussion about it."                 Additionally, he asked his

attorney to obtain the x-ray of Hanson's hand showing a fracture

to substantiate his claim of self-defense and also to obtain

evidence of the medication she was taking to treat aggression to

corroborate his claim that she was the aggressor.                    Because Jones

did not do so, he felt there was no need for a jury trial when

he could not present evidence substantiating his claim of self-

defense.

       Jones never discussed with him the differences between a

bench trial and a jury trial.                   She never discussed what would

happen in a jury trial.              He never had a jury trial before in

this    or    any    other   jurisdiction.           He    had    bench    trials    in

Municipal Court, but never went to trial in the Superior Court.

He thought a jury verdict could be rendered by a majority of

twelve jurors.

       Defendant testified that he did not know that he had a

right    to    challenge         prospective      jurors    and    never    had     any

discussions         with   his    lawyer    about    peremptory     and    for-cause

challenges.         He knew the verdict had to be beyond a reasonable

doubt from television shows.               He did not know that a prejudiced




                                                                             A-3888-06T4
                                           10

juror could be removed from the jury; he only knew that a juror

would be removed if they stood up and said they were prejudiced.

Jones never discussed with him that there were certain hearings

about the admissibility of evidence that could be heard outside

the presence of the jury.     Jones only told him that, if he

testified, his "criminal record would be used against [him]."

If he had known everything that was discussed at the plenary

hearing, he would have chosen a jury trial.

    On cross-examination, he admitted he chose a bench trial of

his own free will, but did not feel it was voluntary because he

"had no other recourse," although he admitted no one forced him

to choose.   He testified that, given what he knows now, he did

not "knowingly" waive a jury trial, although he did know at the

time that he was in fact waiving a jury trial.   He did not feel

that the judge would be fair and impartial when he waived a jury

trial.

    On questioning by the court, defendant testified that he

did not believe he would have a fair trial whether he had a jury

or bench trial because Jones did not gather the evidence which

would have tended to prove self-defense.      The judge reserved

decision and issued a written decision and order on November 28,

2006.




                                                         A-3888-06T4
                               11

       The judge found Jones to be a credible witness but did not

find    defendant     to    be   particularly      credible.    He    found    "his

testimony to be tailored to fit the constitutional educational

background of a laymen's [sic] knowledge of the intricacies of a

jury trial."         He discredited defendant's "testimony regarding

his lack of knowledge in this area, specifically with respect to

the unanimity of a verdict and the process by which a jury is

selected."         He also found his testimony not credible because

there    was   a    discrepancy     between     his    "original     reasons     for

seeking    a   bench       trial,   and    those    offered    at    the   plenary

hearing," that is, at the plenary hearing he contended for the

first time that Jones failed to obtain evidence of self-defense.

He concluded that this new reason was "incredible in light of

his initial assertion of reasons for seeking the same."

       The judge concluded,

                 Although   the   colloquy  between   the
            [c]ourt and the defendant on the date of
            trial may have been brief, it was preceded
            by days, weeks, and perhaps months of
            direction concerning the defendant's desire
            for a bench trial.     It was clear to this
            [c]ourt that although defense counsel did
            indicate that she did not explain the
            intricacies and technicalities of a jury
            trial to this defendant, he knowingly,
            intelligently,    and   willfully   made    a
            decision, based upon his own reasons, to
            have a bench trial rather than a jury trial.

                 For the foregoing reasons, it is the
            opinion of this [c]ourt that [defendant's]


                                                                           A-3888-06T4
                                          12

          waiver of his right to trial by jury was
          made     knowingly,     voluntarily,    and
          intelligently, and the defense's request
          that this [c]ourt vacate the conviction and
          permit the defendant to be re-tried by a
          jury is hereby DENIED.

This appeal followed.

    We begin with our limited scope of review of the judge's

factual findings.       "We do not weigh the evidence, assess the

credibility    of    witnesses,       or    make   conclusions    about       the

evidence."    State v. Barone, 
147 N.J. 599, 615 (1997).                We only

determine "whether the findings made [by the trial court] could

reasonably    have   been   reached    on    sufficient    credible     evidence

present in the record."            State v. Johnson, 
42 N.J. 146, 162

(1964).

    We are not in a good position to judge credibility and

should not make new credibility findings.               State v. Locurto, 
157 N.J. 463, 474 (1999).          It is only where we are "thoroughly

satisfied that the finding is clearly a mistaken one and so

plainly   unwarranted       that    the     interests    of   justice    demand

intervention and correction . . . [that we] appraise the record

as if [we] were deciding the matter at inception and make [our]

own findings and conclusions."            Johnson, supra, 
42 N.J. at 162.

    However,

          [w]hether the facts found by the trial court
          are sufficient to satisfy the applicable
          legal standard is a question of law subject


                                                                        A-3888-06T4
                                       13

               to plenary review on appeal.    See State v.
               Sailor, 
355 N.J. Super. 315, 320 (App. Div.
               2001) (quoting Manalapan Realty, L.P. v.
               Township Comm. of Manalapan, 
140 N.J. 366,
               378 (1995) ("A trial court's interpretation
               of the law and the legal consequences that
               flow from established facts are not entitled
               to any special deference")); see also State
               v. Brown, 
118 N.J. 595, 604 (1990).

               [State v. Cleveland, 
371 N.J. Super. 286,
               295 (App. Div.), certif. denied, 
182 N.J.
              148 (2004).]

Thus,   we     conduct      a   plenary   review    of     the    legal    conclusions

implicit in the judge's decision.

       As   we   said      previously,    "The    constitutional          right     of   an

accused to a trial by an impartial jury of his or her peers has

                                                                 Henry, supra, slip
long been enshrined in our jurisprudence."

op. at 12 (citations omitted).              A defendant's consent to waive a

jury must be intelligent as a matter of constitutional impera-

tive.       Patton v. United States, 
281 U.S. 276, 312, 50 S. Ct. 854,    870    (1930).         In   considering         an
253,    263,     74   L.    Ed.

application to waive a jury,

               the duty of the trial court . . . is not to
               be discharged as a mere matter of rote, but
               with sound and advised discretion, with an
               eye to avoid unreasonable or undue depar-
               tures from that mode of trial or from any of
               the essential elements thereof, and with a
               caution increasing in degree as the offenses
               dealt with increase in gravity.

               [Id. at 312-13, 
50 S. Ct.  at 263, 74 L. Ed.  at 870.]




                                                                                  A-3888-06T4
                                           14

    A     defendant    does   not   have   the   right   to   demand   a   bench

trial.     Dunne, supra, 
124 N.J. at 312.           However, under the New

Jersey Constitution, he has the right to waive a jury trial.                 Id.

at 311-12; State v. Mazza, 
330 N.J. Super. 467, 470 (App. Div.

           "[T]he more serious the crime, . . . the greater the
2000).

burden on the defendant to show why there should be a non-jury

trial."     Dunne, supra, 
124 N.J. at 314-15.                 In permitting a

jury-trial waiver, the judge must:

                 (1) determine whether a defendant has
            voluntarily,   knowingly,   and competently
            waived the constitutional right to jury
            trial with advice of counsel;

                 (2) determine whether the waiver is
            tendered in good faith or as a stratagem to
            procure     an    otherwise   impermissible
            advantage; and

                 (3) determine, with an accompanying
            statement of reasons, whether, considering
            all relevant factors, including those listed
            below, it should grant or deny the defen-
            dant's request in the circumstances of the
            case.

            [Id. at 317.]

"'Whether a waiver is given knowingly depends upon whether the

totality    of   the    circumstances      supports      that   conclusion.'"

Mazza, supra, 
330 N.J. Super. at 471 (quoting State v. Jackson,


272 N.J. Super. 543, 550 (App. Div. 1994) (internal quotation

omitted), certif. denied, 
142 N.J. 450 (1995)).




                                                                       A-3888-06T4
                                      15

    The Dunne Court explained the factors to be weighed in

ruling on an application to waive a jury:

         At one end of the scale, tilting in favor of
         jury trial, will be the gravity of the
         crime. The higher the degree of the crime,
         the greater the weight given to that factor.
         Other factors that will tip the scale will
         be the position of the State, the antici-
         pated duration and complexity of the State's
         presentation of the evidence, the amenabil-
         ity of the issues to jury resolution, the
         existence of a highly-charged emotional
         atmosphere (this may work both ways . . .),
         the presence of particularly-technical mat-
         ters that are interwoven with fact, and the
         anticipated need for numerous rulings on the
         admissibility or inadmissibility of evi-
         dence.   The sources of principled decision-
         making will remain rooted in a statement of
         reasons that will accompany the decision.
         This statement of reasons will give struc-
         ture to the trial court's discretionary
         judgment and will soundly guide appellate
         review. State v. Roth, 
95 N.J. 334, 363-64
         (1984).

         [Dunne, supra, 
124 N.J. at 317-18.]

    Defendant   contends   that   the   testimony    elicited   at    the

remand hearing failed to establish that "defendant voluntarily,

knowingly and competently waived his constitutional right to a

jury trial with the advice of counsel."             He urges that the

nature of the charge itself "'tilted'" in favor of a trial by

jury, especially because defendant faced the maximum sentence

given his prior history.   Because the credibility of the victim

was pivotal to the outcome, he contends that this issue was




                                                                A-3888-06T4
                                  16

particularly suited to resolution by a jury.                            Additionally, his

trial attorney failed to counsel him how his concerns about a

jury trial could be alleviated and assure him that there were

procedural safeguards in jury selection to ensure an unbiased

jury.     Finally, he urges there was no record support for the

judge's    finding    that       his    concern       about         counsel's      failure      to

secure    evidence    of     self-defense           was     additional            to    the   "two

original reasons" he presented as there were no such reasons.

     On the record before us, we cannot say that we are thor-

oughly    satisfied       that    the        judge's      rejection          of    defendant's

claimed lack of knowledge respecting jury trials was clearly

mistaken.        However,        we         come    to    the        opposite          conclusion

respecting defendant's testimony about Jones's failure to obtain

evidence.      It was the judge's duty on the day of trial to elicit

from defendant all the reasons for his waiver of a jury.                                       The

judge    did   not   do    so.         To    reject      this       reason    as       incredible

because defendant did not communicate it to his attorney prior

to trial is akin to blaming defendant for what the judge failed

to do----ensure that the record contained all the reasons, whether

communicated to Jones or not----to allow the judge to determine

whether    defendant's       request          to    waive       a    jury     satisfied        the

requirements of Dunne.




                                                                                         A-3888-06T4
                                               17

       Although    we   instructed        the    judge   to   consider      the    Dunne

factors on remand, he did not discuss them in his opinion.                            We

                                                               Dunne requires the
now apply those factors to the evidence.

court     to    "determine     whether       a    defendant     has      voluntarily,

knowingly, and competently waived the constitutional right to

jury    trial    with   advice   of       counsel."      Id.    at    317   (emphasis

added).        It is clear from Jones's testimony that she did not

provide him with advice of counsel respecting the advantages and

disadvantages      of   waiving       a    jury    nor   did    she      explain     the

procedural safeguards during jury selection to avoid empanelling

a prejudiced juror.          Rather, she merely assumed that defendant

knew what he was doing in waiving a jury simply because he was

an intelligent and articulate man.

       Jones made it clear at the remand hearing that although she

spoke    at    length   with   defendant         about   waiving     a   jury,     those

conversations "were really limited" to making sure that was what

defendant wanted and that he was comfortable and confident about

it.     Furthermore, she did not think defendant was correct that

an    African-American     man   could      not    get   a    fair   jury    trial   in

Warren County, yet she did not communicate that belief before he

waived an important constitutional right.                    Clearly, counsel gave

defendant no advice at all about waiving a jury and absent such

advice, there is no record support for the judge's conclusion




                                                                              A-3888-06T4
                                           18

that the waiver was a knowing one.                     We would come to this

conclusion even if we did not consider counsel's failure to

secure corroborating evidence of self-defense.

      Next, we must "determine whether the waiver [was] tendered

in   good   faith    or    as    a   stratagem    to    procure   an   otherwise

impermissible advantage."            Ibid.    Nothing in the record suggests

an impermissible stratagem; the waiver was apparently tendered

in good faith.       Defendant was merely seeking to avoid conviction

based on racial animus.

      Finally,      we    must   consider      "all    relevant   factors"     in

deciding whether the request to waive a jury should have been

                                      Those are: (1) "the gravity of the
granted or denied.         Ibid.

crime," (2) "the position of the State," (3) the "duration and

complexity of the State's presentation of the evidence," (4)

"the amenability of the issues to jury resolution," (5) "the

existence of a highly-charged emotional atmosphere," (6) "the

presence of particularly-technical matters that are interwoven

with fact," and (7) "the anticipated need for numerous rulings

on the . . . evidence."          Ibid.

      As to the first factor, the crime here was more serious

than a fourth-degree crime, but not as serious as a first- or

second-degree crime, yet it was closer to a second-degree crime

than a fourth-degree crime because defendant would likely have




                                                                        A-3888-06T4
                                         19

been   given    a   maximum   third-degree     sentence       in    light    of     his

criminal record.       Thus, he bore a weighty, although not heavy,

                                                                             Id. at
burden "to show why there should be a non-jury trial."

314-15.     His     reasons   for   waiving    a    jury    did     not   meet     this

weighty burden.        His fear that a jury would be motivated by

racial animus was not objectively reasonable in light of the

many safeguards surrounding the empanelling of a jury and the

requirement that a verdict be unanimous.               Neither was waiving a

jury    objectively     reasonable     because      his     counsel       failed     to

procure    evidence,     which      could    have    been     addressed      by      an

adjournment of the trial and assignment of new counsel.                          Thus,

the gravity of the crime weighed in favor of a jury trial.

       Second, the State did not object to a waiver of its right

to trial by jury.      This weighs in favor of the waiver.

       Third,   the   State's    proofs     were    very    short    in    duration,

consuming only one trial day, and not at all complex.                              This

factor weighs in favor of a jury trial.

       Fourth, the issues were especially amenable to resolution

by a jury because credibility was the central issue in the case

in light of defendant's claim that Hanson was the aggressor and

he was acting in self-defense.               Thus, this factor weighs in

favor of a jury trial.




                                                                            A-3888-06T4
                                       20

    Fifth, there was no highly charged emotional atmosphere.

As a result, there was no reason to be concerned that a jury

might be influenced by emotional factors.             This factor weighs in

favor of a jury trial.

    Sixth,      there   were   no   technical    matters      interwoven    with

fact,    much   less    particularly    technical     ones.      This     was    a

factually simple case.         Again, this factor weighs in favor of

trial by jury.

    Finally, the record does not suggest that there would be

any need for numerous evidentiary rulings during this one-day

trial.     As a result, this factor, too, favors a jury trial.

    Clearly, almost all of the factors identified by the Dunne

Court weigh in favor of trial by jury, not the bench.                   Equally

clearly,     the   judge    should     not     have   granted     defendant's

application to waive a jury.                As a consequence, defendant's

conviction must be vacated and this matter remanded to the trial

judge, who is to allow defendant a reasonable time to gather the

evidence his counsel failed to procure and thereafter schedule

the matter for trial by jury.

    Reversed and remanded for proceedings consistent with this

opinion.




                                                                        A-3888-06T4
                                       21



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