Be careful who your friends are. In State v. Jackson, the New Jersey Supreme Court handed down a significant Confrontation Clause decision. Three codefendants participated in a burglary, but one pleaded guilty and cooperated. The trial judge limited trial counsel’s ability to cross-examine the cooperator with the full extent of his exposure at sentencing. The NJ Supreme Court ordered a new trial, finding that the accused’s 6th Amendment rights were violated.
