State v. Berry

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

STEIN, J.

These appeals concern the State’s practice of using expert witnesses in drug-distribution cases to explain techniques commonly used by drug dealers. The expert testimony typically is offered to enhance the jury’s understanding of the factual evidence proffered by the State to prove the commission of the offenses charged in the indictments.

In State v. Berry, the sole question presented in the State’s appeal, here by virtue of a dissent in the Appellate Division, see Rule 2:2-1(a)(2), is whether defendant’s convictions for possession of cocaine…