State v. Collier

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

POLLOCK, J.

The issue on this appeal is whether the trial court’s direction of a verdict of guilty on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor is harmless error in the trial of a charge for rape. The Appellate Division found the instruction to be harmless and affirmed the conviction. We believe the erroneous instruction contributed to the jury verdict on the charge of rape. *120Consequently, we reverse and remand the matter for a new trial.

I

Defendant, Collier, was tried in 1978 on a two-count indictment. The first count charged him with the…