STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. JASON E. MOORE (12-12-1139, CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND STATEWIDE)

CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedMay 16, 2017
DocketA-5760-14T1
StatusUnpublished

This text of STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. JASON E. MOORE (12-12-1139, CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. JASON E. MOORE (12-12-1139, CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND STATEWIDE)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. JASON E. MOORE (12-12-1139, CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND STATEWIDE), (N.J. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R.1:36-3.

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION DOCKET NO. A-5760-14T1

STATE OF NEW JERSEY,

Plaintiff-Respondent,

v.

JASON E. MOORE,

Defendant-Appellant. _________________________________________________

Submitted March 28, 2017 – Decided May 16, 2017

Before Judges Messano and Grall.

On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Cumberland County, Indictment No. 12-12-1139.

Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney for appellant (Rochelle Watson, Assistant Deputy Public Defender, of counsel and on the brief).

Jennifer Webb-McRae, Cumberland County Prosecutor, attorney for respondent (Kim L. Barfield, Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and on the brief).

PER CURIAM Defendant Jason E. Moore (defendant or Moore) appeals the

denial of his motion to suppress evidence obtained with two

search warrants. After the denial, defendant and the State

reached a plea agreement. In conformity with that agreement,

defendant pled guilty to two of the eight counts naming him in

an indictment returned by the grand jurors for Cumberland

County. Defendant was charged with crimes related to the

killing of Ervin M. Harper, the disposal of Harper's remains and

the production and distribution of marijuana. More

specifically, defendant pled guilty to count one, first-degree

aggravated manslaughter, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4(a)(1) (amended from

murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3(a)(1)-(2)); and count four, second-

degree disturbing or desecrating human remains, N.J.S.A. 2C:22-

1(a)(1).

As agreed, the remaining charges against defendant were

dismissed. The charges were: possessing a weapon with an

unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4(a) (count two); conspiring

with co-defendants, Lewis I. Moore and Amber M. Price, to

disturb and desecrate human remains, N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2 and

N.J.S.A. 2C:22-1 (count three); conspiring with the same co-

defendants to hinder and hindering apprehension, N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2

2 A-5760-14T1 and N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3 (counts five and eight)1; possessing a

controlled dangerous substance, marijuana in a quantity of more

than 50 grams, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(a)(3) (count nine);

manufacturing, distributing or dispensing marijuana, N.J.S.A.

2C:35-5(a)(1) and -5(b)(11) (count ten); and possessing a weapon

in the course of manufacturing, distributing or dispensing

marijuana, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4.1(a) (count eleven).

In conformity with the State's recommendation set forth in

the plea agreement, the judge sentenced defendant to a twenty-

year term of imprisonment for aggravated manslaughter, subject

to terms of parole ineligibility and parole supervision required

by the No Early Release Act, N.J.S.A. 2C:43-7.2, and to a

consecutive five-year term of imprisonment for disturbing human

remains. Both sentences are concurrent with a sentence

defendant was then serving for drug crimes charged in Indictment

10-04-1149. The judge also imposed the appropriate fines,

penalties and assessments, and at the State's request, dismissed

the charges against defendant in the remaining counts of the

indictment and eleven open cases.

1 Count four also charged Lewis I. Moore and Price with desecration, 2C:22-1, and counts six and seven, respectively, charged Price and Lewis I. Moore with hindering apprehension.

3 A-5760-14T1 At the time of his plea, defendant acknowledged shooting

Harper twice with a .357 handgun as Harper stood in the "side

driveway" of defendant's property. He further acknowledged

burying Harper in a wooded area of his property and later

unearthing and dismembering Harper's remains and placing them in

trash bags that he then buried in remote woods away from his

premises.

On appeal, defendant raises two issues for our consideration.

POINT I

BECAUSE IT WAS BASED ON STALE INFORMATION, PROBABLE CAUSE DID NOT SUPPORT THE ISSUANCE OF THE FIRST SEARCH WARRANT. CONSEQUENTLY, THE SECOND SEARCH WARRANT IS ALSO INVALID AS THE FRUIT OF THE FIRST.

POINT II

BECAUSE THE SENTENCING COURT FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THE YARBOUGH GUIDELINES, A REMAND FOR RESENTENCING IS REQUIRED.

For the reasons that follow, we conclude the information

supporting the issuance of the search warrant was not stale and

adequately supported a finding of probable cause. Further, we

determine that the judge gave full consideration to the

guidelines for consecutive sentencing established in State v.

Yarbough, 100 N.J. 627 (1985) (adopting criteria for trial

judges to consider in determining whether concurrent or

4 A-5760-14T1 consecutive sentences are warranted), cert. denied, 475 U.S.

1014, 106 S. Ct. 1193, 89 L. Ed. 2d 308 (1986).

I.

Two search warrants were issued — the first on February 5,

2011, and the second on March 11, 2011. Defendant submits that

the first warrant was improperly issued on stale reports of a

marijuana operation and inadequate information linking him or

his searched premises to Harper's disappearance and demise. His

only challenge to the second warrant is that it was supported by

evidence obtained with the first, and as such, the evidence

found in the second search must be suppressed as the fruit of an

illegal search. Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 83 S.

Ct. 407, 9 L. Ed. 2d 441 (1963); State v. Barry, 86 N.J. 80, 87,

cert. denied, 454 U.S. 1017, 102 S. Ct. 553, 70 L. Ed. 2d 415

(1981).

To prevail, defendant has the burden of overcoming the

presumption of validity extended to a search conducted with a

warrant; to do that, he must "prove 'that there was no probable

cause supporting the issuance'" of the first warrant. State v.

Jones, 179 N.J. 377, 388 (2004) (quoting State v. Valencia, 93

N.J. 126, 133 (1983)). In considering whether defendant met the

burden, this court must give "substantial deference" to the

discretionary determination made by the issuing judge. Jones,

5 A-5760-14T1 supra, 179 N.J. at 388. Even if we were to find the supporting

information "marginal," we would resolve the doubt by sustaining

the search. State v. Kasabucki, 52 N.J. 110, 116 (1968) (citing

United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102, 109, 85 S. Ct. 741,

746, 13 L. Ed. 2d 684, 689 (1965)). Thus, the question is

whether the judge was presented "with facts sufficient to permit

the inference of the existence of probable cause" necessary to

issue a warrant. State v. Novembrino, 105 N.J. 95, 128 (1987).

The issuing judge, was required "'to make a practical,

common-sense decision whether, given all the circumstances set

forth in the affidavit before him, including the 'veracity' and

'basis of knowledge' of persons supplying hearsay information,

there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a

crime [would] be found in'" the place or places to be searched.

State v.

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Related

Sgro v. United States
287 U.S. 206 (Supreme Court, 1932)
Wong Sun v. United States
371 U.S. 471 (Supreme Court, 1963)
United States v. Ventresca
380 U.S. 102 (Supreme Court, 1965)
Barry v. New Jersey
454 U.S. 1017 (Supreme Court, 1981)
Illinois v. Gates
462 U.S. 213 (Supreme Court, 1983)
United States v. Warren G. Johnson
461 F.2d 285 (Tenth Circuit, 1972)
United States v. Samuel W. Harris
482 F.2d 1115 (Third Circuit, 1973)
State v. Johnson
793 A.2d 619 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2002)
State v. Cassady
966 A.2d 473 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2009)
State v. Valencia
459 A.2d 1149 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1983)
State v. Novembrino
519 A.2d 820 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1987)
State v. Smith
713 A.2d 1033 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1998)
State v. Barry
429 A.2d 581 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1981)
State v. Bieniek
985 A.2d 1251 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2010)
Schneider v. Simonini
749 A.2d 336 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2000)
United States v. Nilsen
482 F. Supp. 1335 (D. New Jersey, 1980)
State v. Yarbough
498 A.2d 1239 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1985)
State v. Jones
846 A.2d 569 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2004)
State v. Valentine
636 A.2d 505 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1994)
State v. Kasabucki
244 A.2d 101 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1968)

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STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. JASON E. MOORE (12-12-1139, CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND STATEWIDE), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-new-jersey-vs-jason-e-moore-12-12-1139-cumberland-county-and-njsuperctappdiv-2017.