State v. Kovack

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

CLIFFORD, J.

The Appellate Division, in an unreported opinion, determined that when a criminal defendant pleads guilty in accordance with a plea agreement, the court taking that plea must “affirmatively inform defendant of the maximum period of parole ineligibility imposable” under the Code of Criminal Justice, N.J.S.A. 2C:1-1 to 65-4 and 98-1 to -4, particularly N.J.S.A. 2C:14-6, N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6 b. and c., and N.J.S.A. 2C:43-7 b. and c. (Code). The court below concluded that defendant’s sentence violated the plea agreement because the sentencing court…