State v. Sean Bell (070736)

Judge CUFF (temporarily assigned)

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This appeal addresses whether a defendant may be admitted to the Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program following a jury trial in which he has been found guilty but before sentencing. Here, a grand jury had returned an indictment against defendant Sean Bell and another man charging them with second-degree aggravated assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b)(1), and third-degree aggravated assault, N.J.S.A 2C:12-1(b)(7). The charges arose from a fight that erupted at a high school graduation party. Defendant did not apply for admission to…