The 72-year-old defendant suffered from heart disease and sought compassionate release from prison under a recently-enacted statute. The trial court rejected the request, and the New Jersey Appellate Division affirmed. The Court held that the defendant failed to obtain a satisfactory certificate of eligibility for compassionate release from the Department of Corrections. The defendant’s certificate did not show that he suffered from a terminal illness or could not perform basic activities of daily living. Though the Appellate Division did not base its conclusion on the defendant’s crimes, it bears noting that he was serving life sentences for multiple murders.
