State v. Lykes

Two plainclothes Jersey City police officers observed defendant Thomas Lykes purchasing what was later determined to be four vials of cocaine from his co-defendant Daniel Veal. Defendant claims that his subsequent trial was tainted in two respects. First, defendant claims he improperly was impeached by the use of a prior conviction for possession of cocaine, the use of which had been deemed too remote and, hence, inadmissible. Second, defendant alleges that the trial court’s response to the jury’s question in respect of defendant’s prior knowledge of cocaine was in error.

Because defendant…