STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KURT T. HARRIS (18-07-0571, MIDDLESEX COUNTY AND STATEWIDE)

CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedMarch 31, 2020
DocketA-0202-19T3
StatusUnpublished

This text of STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KURT T. HARRIS (18-07-0571, MIDDLESEX COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KURT T. HARRIS (18-07-0571, MIDDLESEX 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. KURT T. HARRIS (18-07-0571, MIDDLESEX COUNTY AND STATEWIDE), (N.J. Ct. App. 2020).

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NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court."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-0202-19T3

STATE OF NEW JERSEY,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.

KURT T. HARRIS,

Defendant-Respondent. _______________________________

Submitted February 24, 2020 – Decided March 31, 2020

Before Judges Ostrer and Susswein.

On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Middlesex County, Accusation No. 18-07- 0571.

Christopher L.C. Kuberiet, Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor, attorney for appellant (Patrick F. Galdieri, II, Special Deputy Attorney General/Acting Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and on the brief).

Mazaraani & Liguori, LLP, attorneys for respondent (Joseph M. Mazraani, of counsel; Jeffrey S. Farmer, of counsel and on the brief).

PER CURIAM The State appeals from a trial court order admitting defendant, Kurt T.

Harris, to Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) over the prosecutor's objection.

Defendant was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a loaded

handgun police discovered on him during a motor vehicle stop. Defendant is a

Pennsylvania resident who has a permit to carry a concealed firearm in that state.

He asserts he was unaware that it was illegal for him to carry his firearm while

in New Jersey.

The second-degree handgun crime with which defendant is charged under

N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b)(1) carries a mandatory term of imprisonment with a parole

ineligibility period of 42 months. N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6(c). The mandatory

minimum sentence may be reduced, or waived altogether, on motion of the

prosecutor pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6.2. Furthermore, defendant is not

categorically ineligible for PTI by reason of the prescribed mandatory minimum

sentence. The PTI decision, rather, must be based on a case-by-case analysis of

seventeen factors that are set forth in N.J.S.A. 2C:43-12(e). An Attorney

General directive also provides guidance to prosecutors on how to exercise their

discretion when deciding whether to consent to PTI for an out-of-state visitor

who unlawfully possesses a firearm in circumstances that would have been

lawful in the defendant's own state. Attorney General Directive, "Clarification

A-0202-19T3 2 of 'Graves Act' 2008 Directive with Respect to Offenses Committed by Out-of-

State Visitors From States Where Their Gun-Possession Conduct Would Have

Been Lawful" (Sept. 24, 2014) (2014 Clarification).

The prosecutor considered the statutory PTI factors and rejected

defendant's PTI application for reasons explained in an eight-page single-spaced

letter. The prosecutor's statement of reasons addresses all of the PTI factors and

does not simply parrot them. The trial judge issued a thorough twenty-six-page

opinion that dissects how the prosecutor applied the PTI factors in view of the

2014 Clarification. The trial judge found that the prosecutor misapplied the

2014 Clarification, giving too much weight to certain offense-oriented factors

that weigh against PTI and not enough weight to offender-oriented factors that

weigh in favor of PTI. After considering the circumstances of the offense in

view of defendant's personal history, the trial court concluded that the

prosecutor's rejection of PTI amounted to a gross and patent abuse of

prosecutorial discretion.

We have reviewed the record in view of the governing legal principles and

conclude that the trial judge did not accord the prosecutor's PTI decision

sufficient deference. We recognize that reasonable minds can differ on whether

defendant should be admitted to PTI. Although the trial court explained that it

A-0202-19T3 3 was not substituting its judgment for that of the prosecutor, we are constrained

to conclude that, for all practical purposes, the court did just that. In particular,

the court substituted its judgment with respect to the prosecutor's assessment of

the nature of the offense, N.J.S.A. 2C:43-12(e)(1), and the facts of the case,

N.J.S.A. 2C:43-12(e)(2).

We believe that the prosecutor's office acted within the ambit of its

discretion in analyzing and weighing the relevant PTI factors. However, we

agree with the trial court that the prosecutor misapplied two of the seventeen

PTI factors. We deem those errors to constitute an abuse of discretion but not a

gross and patent abuse sufficient to overturn the prosecutor's decision and order

PTI. Given the deference we owe to the prosecutor's charging discretion, we

remand the matter for the prosecutor to decide whether a proper application of

these two PTI factors would lead the prosecutor to reach a different outcome.

I.

In June 2018, defendant was arrested by an East Brunswick police officer

and charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, N.J.S.A.

2C:39-5(b)(1), and fourth-degree possession of hollow-nose bullets, N.J.S.A.

2C:39-3(f)(1). After agreeing to being charged by means of accusation rather

A-0202-19T3 4 than indictment, defendant applied to PTI. The Criminal Division Manager

reviewed the matter and recommended that defendant be admitted to PTI.

In August 2018, the prosecutor submitted a statement of reasons

explaining why the State would not agree to PTI. Defendant filed an appeal to

the Law Division challenging the rejection. After hearing oral argument, the

trial court reserved decision and ordered the parties to return to court for another

hearing in January 2019. At that hearing, the trial judge asked the State to

reconsider its decision to deny PTI. The First Assistant Prosecutor replied by

letter on January 15, 2019 explaining that he had reviewed the matter and that

he concurred with the reasons and conclusion set forth in the State's initial

rejection letter.

In February 2019, the court convened another hearing at which the court

once again asked the State to reconsider its decision. Eleven days later, the State

responded that it would not consent to PTI. On September 9, 2019, the court

issued its written decision admitting defendant to PTI over the State's objection.

The State appeals from that decision.

II.

We briefly summarize the relevant facts, which we glean from the trial

court's opinion and our review of the record. On the morning of Friday, June 1,

A-0202-19T3 5 2018, defendant was driving with his girlfriend from Dunmore, Pennsylvania to

the shore resort town of Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The record shows

defendant indicated to police he was "travelling to Seaside Heights for the day

with his girlfriend to go to the beach," but it is unclear whether they intended to

visit other Seaside Heights attractions, such as the boardwalk, restaurants, or

bars.

Defendant was pulled over by police on Route 18 in Middlesex County

for a motor vehicle violation. Defendant appeared nervous and was touching

his waistband. An officer directed defendant to step out of the car. As the

officer was preparing to conduct a pat down for weapons, the officer asked

defendant if he had any items on him that would "stick or poke" the officer.

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STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KURT T. HARRIS (18-07-0571, MIDDLESEX COUNTY AND STATEWIDE), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-new-jersey-vs-kurt-t-harris-18-07-0571-middlesex-county-and-njsuperctappdiv-2020.