State v. Rogers

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

O’HERN, J.

This appeal involves the question of representation of multiple defendants by public defenders from the same office. It was argued with State v. Bell and Peguese, 90 N.J. 163 (1982), decided this date, which raises the same issue.

On December 23, 1978, Rogers and two others held up a shopkeeper and his wife at their home in Fair Lawn and, under threat of violence, forced them to turn over some $14,681 in store receipts. The three defendants were indicted for armed robbery and illegal possession of a revolver.

All three defendants were…