State v. Maisonet

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

VERNIERO, J.

In this criminal appeal, we must determine whether defendant’s treatment at the Gloucester County Jail warrants reversal of his conviction. While in custody at the jail, defendant was denied basic necessities such as food, soap, water, a clean mattress and blanket, and a comb. After testifying before the jury in a visibly disheveled state, defendant was convicted of certain drug offenses and sentenced to sixteen years in prison with six years and four months of parole ineligibility. The Appellate Division upheld the conviction and sentence.…