State v. Bridges
New Jersey Supreme Court
628 A.2d 270 (1993)
- Written by Kaitlin Pomeroy-Murphy, JD
Facts
Bennie Bridges (defendant) was attending a birthday party when he got into an argument with another guest. Bridges left the party, promising to return with people he referred to as his “boys.” Bridges drove to another city and found two acquaintances, Keith Bing and Eddie Rolle. When Bridges asked Bing and Rolle to return to the party with him, they agreed. The three men stopped briefly at Bing’s home, where Bing and Rolle retrieved guns for the purpose of intimidating others at the party. The three men returned to the party, upon which a street fight ensued between Bridges and another guest. During the altercation, Bing and Rolle drew their guns and fired. One man was killed, and another was shot in the shoulder. Bridges was charged and convicted of conspiracy and multiple substantive crimes, including murder, that occurred during the course of the conspiracy. Bridges appealed. The appeals court held that a coconspirator may be criminally liable for substantive crimes only if he had the specific intent to commit those crimes. On that basis, Bridges’s conspiracy conviction was affirmed, but his convictions for the substantive crimes were reversed. The state (plaintiff) appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Handler, J.)
Concurrence/Dissent (O’Hern, J.)
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