Title: State of New Jersey v. Jesse Timmendequas

State: new-jersey

Issuer: New Jersey Supreme Court

Document:

(This syllabus is not part of the opinion of the Court. It has been prepared by the Office of the Clerk for the convenience of the reader. It has been neither reviewed nor approved by the Supreme Court. Please note that, in the interests of brevity, portions of any opinion may not have been summarized). GARIBALDI, J., writing for a majority of the Court. In this appeal, defendant challenges his murder conviction and his death sentence. The victim, seven-year old Megan Kanka, lived diagonally across the street from Timmendequas. Megan disappeared on the evening of July 29, 1994. All neighbors were asked if they had seen Megan. Timmendequas indicated that he had seen Megan riding her bike earlier in the evening. After determining that Joseph Cifelli, Timmendequas's roommate, was a prior sex offender, police obtained his consent to search the house. They also questioned Cifelli, Timmendequas and Brian Jenin, the other roommate, individually. Cifelli and Jenin gave consistent alibis, claiming they had been shopping at the time Megan disappeared. Timmendequas, on the other hand, was shaking and perspiring heavily throughout his interview. Based on Timmendequas's nervousness, and his assertion that he was alone at the time of Megan's disappearance, the officers asked him to come to headquarters for a further interview. Timmendequas arrived at the station at 2:50 a.m. He was read Miranda warnings, and signed a waiver form. Timmendequas denied having anything to do with Megan's disappearance. He left the station at 4:00 a.m. The next morning, detectives went to Cifelli's house to search the premises again. While the search was ongoing, Timmendequas took his puppy out for a walk and brought out the garbage. The officers obtained Cifelli's consent to search the garbage. They found a waistband of a small pair of pants appearing to be that of a child and a piece of material that matched the waistband. At approximately 10:00 a.m., Mrs. Kanka confirmed that the articles of clothing were Megan's. Timmendequas returned to headquarters shortly after 12:00 p.m. He waived his Miranda rights once again. Timmendequas was shown the articles of the clothing or photographs of the clothing taken from the garbage. He identified them as rags from his job and continued to deny any involvement in Megan's disappearance. The detectives questioned Timmendequas until approximately 6:35 p.m. At the suggestion of one of the detectives, Timmendequas agreed to speak to Jenin, his roommate. When Jenin was brought into the room, he immediately went to Timmendequas, saying "They got you, they got you, they got you. You're going to need a friend on the outside, I'll be that friend." In response, Timmendequas put his head down and then looked up and said, "She's in Mercer County Park." He agreed to show police where she was. The detectives denied coaching Jenin about what to say. Timmendequas took the police to the park and directly to the body. Timmendequas provided another written statement, indicating that the victim came over to the house to see his puppy. Timmendequas brought her into his bedroom and began to touch her. When Megan screamed and tried to get away, Timmendequas became afraid she would tell her mother. He grabbed her, grabbed a belt, and put it around her neck. The victim fell, and started to bleed. Timmendequas put a plastic bag over her head to prevent her from bleeding on the carpet. Timmendequas's roommates returned home at that time. Timmendequas put the victim in a large toy box that he had converted to a tool box. He carried the box downstairs, put it in a van, and took it to Mercer County Park. Timmendequas admitted that he placed his fingers in her vagina, and "played with her a little," before dumping her in the weeds. The Mercer County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the victim's body. He concluded that the cause of death was mechanical strangulation with a leather belt. The victim's vagina and anus had been penetrated by a finger or penis. Severe hemorrhaging was caused by three separate blows to the head with a blunt object. After reviewing the autopsy, the detectives told Timmendequas that based on the autopsy reports, he did not tell police everything. Timmendequas then admitted he tried, unsuccessfully, to penetrate the victim vaginally with his penis; and that he penetrated her with his finger, instead. Timmendequas denied trying to penetrate the victim anally, but "may have slipped" while trying to penetrate her vaginally. After signing the statement, Timmendequas said he felt he had been "slipping for a while," and "getting those feelings for little girls . . . for a couple of weeks or a couple of months." Forensic experts linked DNA evidence found in Timmendequas's room to Megan. They also linked Megan's hairs and clothing fibers with hairs and fibers in Timmendequas's room, and linked Timmendequas's hairs with those found on Megan's sweater. Timmendequas did not testify or present any witnesses in the guilt phase. His defense was presented through cross-examination and argument. The jury found him guilty of knowing or purposeful murder, kidnapping, and aggravated sexual assault, among other charges. In the penalty phase, Timmendequas presented two expert witnesses who testified on mitigating factors. According to these witnesses, Timmendequas had a dysfunctional family life. His mother was an alcoholic who had ten children by seven different men. Timmendequas's father was a heavy drinker with a criminal record and a tendency toward violence. One expert interviewed Timmendequas's brother, Paul, extensively. Paul claimed that he and Jesse were sexually assaulted several times a week by their father. The other expert concluded that Timmendequas suffered from pedophilia, post-traumatic stress, and a schizoid personality disorder. He also concluded that Timmendequas's capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct was very much impaired, as was his ability to conform his conduct to the requirements of law. In the penalty phase, the State relied on the evidence presented in the guilt phase to prove the two aggravating factors -- that defendant killed to escape detection, and that the murder was committed in the course of an aggravated sexual assault or kidnapping. It rebutted Timmendequas's mitigating evidence by cross-examination of his witnesses and the testimony of a forensic psychologist. The psychologist testified that there was no support for the mitigating factors of extreme emotional disturbance or mental disease or defect. The jury found beyond a reasonable doubt that the aggravating factors, both individually and collectively, outweighed the mitigating factors, thereby fixing the sentence as death. This appeal followed. HELD: The Court affirms the murder conviction and the sentence of death. 1. In order to avoid prejudice due to extensive pretrial publicity, the trial court initially decided to change the venue of the trial to Camden County. The State moved for reconsideration, citing the hardship of the Kanka family traveling to Camden County every day. The trial court determined to empanel a foreign jury from Hunterdon County, instead. The hardship to the Kanka family was a legitimate consideration and was authorized by the Victim's Rights Amendment. Timmendequas's rights were not infringed by the decision. In respect of the disparity in the racial demographics between Mercer and Hunterdon Counties, that is only one factor to be considered in deciding to empanel a foreign jury. This case involved a white victim and a white defendant, and there is no evidence that the racial composition of the jury affected the jury's ability to be impartial. The trial court also took extensive precautions to ensure that the jurors were not exposed to prejudicial publicity while in Mercer County, and there is no evidence of jury taint. (pp. 26-51) 2. There was nationwide publicity surrounding the adoption of Megan' Law, named after the victim here, which required convicted sex offenders to register with local authorities. Because of this, many of the jurors admitted to knowing or suspecting that Timmendequas had a prior record of sex offenses. The trial court subjected potential jurors to painstaking questioning, and repeatedly instructed them that the verdict and sentence were to be based solely on the evidence presented at trial. Allowing jurors to sit despite their knowledge or suspicion of Timmendequas's prior record was not reversible error. (pp. 51-63) 3. Some of the prosecutor's comments, especially in the guilt phase, were improper. However, many of these comments were based on the evidence at trial. In addition, the trial court's instructions diminished any prejudicial effect, and evidence of Timmendequas's guilt was overwhelming. The alleged misconduct was not so egregious as to deny Timmendequas a fair trial. (pp. 63-97) 4. Timmendequas argues that his incriminating statements should have been suppressed. The Court finds otherwise. The initial questioning of Timmendequas at his home was not custodial and did not require Miranda warnings. Timmendequas was given Miranda warnings prior to questioning at the station, and he intelligently, knowingly and voluntarily waived his rights. (pp. 97-129) 5. The Court concludes that none of Timmendequas's other arguments require reversal. (pp. 129-162) Defendant's convictions and his sentence of death are AFFIRMED. JUSTICE STEIN has filed a separate opinion, concurring in the affirmance of defendant's capital murder conviction, and dissenting on the death sentence. He is of the view that in the penalty phase, the trial court was required to deliver a clear instruction that the jury was prohibited from considering defendant's prior convictions. APPELLATE DIVISION JUDGE KING (t/a) has filed a separate opinion, concurring in the affirmance of defendant's capital murder conviction, and dissenting on the death sentence. He is of the view that prosecutorial misconduct tainted the proceeding insofar as the death sentence was concerned. JUSTICE HANDLER, dissenting, is of the view that defendant did not receive a fair trial because the jury did not represent a cross-section of the community; the prosecutorial misconduct was extreme; and the jury had knowledge of defendant's prior sex offense convictions. JUSTICES POLLOCK, O'HERN and COLEMAN join in JUSTICE GARIBALDI's opinion. JUSTICE STEIN has filed a separate opinion, concurring in part and dissenting in part, with JUSTICE HANDLER joining in the dissent. APPELLATE DIVISION JUDGE KING (t/a) has filed a separate opinion, concurring in part and dissenting in part. JUSTICE HANDLER has filed a separate, dissenting opinion. CHIEF JUSTICE PORITZ did not participate. STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. JESSE TIMMENDEQUAS, Defendant-Appellant. Argued December 1, 1998 -- Decided August 11, 1999 On appeal from the Superior Court, Law Division, Mercer County. William R. Smith and Jay L. Wilensky, Assistant Deputy Public Defenders, argued the cause for appellant (Ivelisse Torres, Public Defender, attorney). Catherine A. Foddai, Deputy Attorney General, argued the cause for respondent (Peter Verniero, Attorney General of New Jersey, attorney). The opinion of the Court was delivered by GARIBALDI, J. The Trial A. Guilt Phase The victim, Megan Kanka, lived at 32 Barbara Lee Drive in Hamilton Township with her parents, Maureen and Richard Kanka, and her two siblings. Defendant lived diagonally across the street at 27 Barbara Lee Drive with Brian Jenin, Joseph Cifelli and Cifelli's mother. Megan's mother was the first witness for the State. She testified about the events on July 29, 1994, the night of Megan's disappearance. Mrs. Kanka testified that she took a nap at approximately 6:30 p.m. While she was sleeping, Megan went down the street to visit a friend. When Mrs. Kanka awoke, she could not find Megan. The Kankas asked neighbors if they had seen Megan. A number of the neighbors, including defendant, told Mrs. Kanka that they had seen Megan in the neighborhood earlier that day. Defendant also told the Kankas he had seen Megan before dinner when she and her friend Courtney stopped to talk to him about his new boat, which was on the street in front of his house. Shortly after Megan's disappearance, Mrs. Kanka called the police. When they arrived at Barbara Lee Drive, she gave them a photograph of her daughter and a description of the clothing Megan was wearing. She also gave the police a pair of shorts resembling those that Megan was wearing when she disappeared. Hamilton Township Patrol Officer Paul Seitz testified that he and Officer Mike Smith arrived at the Kanka's residence at 8:49 p.m. After searching the Kanka's house and property, and questioning some of the Kankas' neighbors, Seitz spoke with defendant. Defendant told the officer that he had seen Megan riding her bicycle at 2:30 p.m. that day. When asked if he had seen Megan at any other time (because his statement conflicted with what other neighbors had said and what he had said earlier), defendant stated that he had seen Megan riding her bicycle in front of her house between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Defendant also told Seitz that his roommates, Cifelli and Jenin, were out shopping between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and would not have seen Megan. Officer Nelson then testified that at approximately 10 p.m., he and three other officers approached 27 Barbara Lee Lane to obtain consent to search the house. Mr. Cifelli, the owner, agreed to let them search the house, yard and boat for Megan. They did not find her. During the course of the search, Officer Nelson noticed heavy brown blankets being washed in the washing machine. Although he found it to be unusual, none of the residents at 27 Barbara Lee Lane was a suspect at the time of this first search. At approximately 12:30 a.m., Detectives O'Dwyer and Kieffer and Detective Sergeant Stanley obtained a signed consent from owner Cifelli to search the home again. Jenin, Cifelli and defendant also were questioned individually at that time. During the search, O'Dwyer found "what appeared to be four pairs of women's underwear," one having a teddy-bear pattern, under the bed in Cifelli's room. The officer read Cifelli his Miranda rights and Cifelli waived his rights. Cifelli explained that the underwear belonged to an ex-girlfriend. O'Dwyer soon realized that the underwear was adult-sized and did not believe it was connected to Megan's disappearance. Cifelli gave officers an alibi and receipts proving he and Jenin were not at home at the time of Megan's disappearance. The officers then interviewed Brian Jenin. They did not administer Miranda rights since, according to O'Dwyer, the search of Jenin's room disclosed nothing suspicious and the police were just trying to obtain information. Jenin's account was consistent with Cifelli's. After questioning Cifelli and Jenin, the officers then called defendant into the room. They did not read defendant his Miranda rights because nothing suspicious had been found in his room and the police were just seeking information. Defendant related that he had gone out that day with Jenin and Cifelli to purchase a boat, and then washed it in front of his home. He spoke to Megan, who he knew as a "neighborhood child," and her friend Courtney between 5:00-5:30 that day while he was washing the boat. Jenin and Cifelli were out running errands at the time. O'Dwyer testified that defendant was shaking and perspiring heavily throughout the course of the interview. When Kieffer sat down next to defendant, defendant crossed his arms and legs and turned away. Based on defendant's account, his nervousness, and his assertion that he was alone at the time of Megan's disappearance, the officers thought defendant should be re interviewed at headquarters. Defendant agreed to accompany the officers, but wanted to drive himself. The officers followed behind in their vehicle. The officers felt no need to speak with Cifelli or Jenin again. When they arrived at the station at approximately 2:50 a.m., Defendant was read his Miranda warnings. He signed a form stating that he understood and waived his rights. He never asked for a lawyer or said that he did not want to talk. He said he would help in any way that he could. Defendant gave police a written statement documenting his whereabouts on the 29th. The statement conflicted with previous accounts defendant had given to the officers. In particular, defendant wrote that he had seen the victim a second time on the 29th, at 6:30 p.m. He had previously told Kieffer that he had seen her only once, earlier in the afternoon by his boat. At approximately 4:00 a.m., defendant signed a form consenting to a search of his vehicle. Detective O'Dwyer, while looking for latent fingerprints, found a brown toy chest and a piece of black felt in the back of defendant's pickup truck. Defendant, who was present during the search, volunteered that he recently had cut his hand on the curtain rod that hung in front of the glass separating the passenger and cap portions of the truck. Defendant had an injury on the palm of his hand, but O'Dwyer found no blood or skin on the curtain rod. At 4:00 a.m., after the search, defendant left headquarters, promising to return the next day for more questioning. Detective Martin Ingebrandt testified that he was called into headquarters at approximately 5:30 a.m. to help with the Kanka investigation. At approximately 7:00 a.m., Ingebrandt was sent to defendant's house to obtain consent to search the boat in the yard. Cifelli signed the consent and the officers began to search the boat for prints. Detective Ingebrandt testified that when they walked over to the boat, there was no garbage on the curb at 27 Barbara Lee Drive. During the course of the search, Ingebrandt noticed someone, whom he later learned was defendant, walking a puppy down Barbara Lee Lane. A few minutes later, Ingebrandt noticed three garbage cans between the curb and the side of the boat that had not been there before. The officers obtained Cifelli's consent to search the garbage. At about 9:15 a.m., the officers returned to headquarters with the garbage. Nothing was confiscated from the boat. Upon searching the garbage, the officers found a rope with some knots tied in it and a substance that appeared to be dried blood on it, the waistband of a small pair of pants appearing to be for a child, and a piece of material that matched the waistband. Unsuspicious items were found as well. At approximately 10:00 a.m., Ingebrandt and Butera brought the articles of clothing to the Kankas for identification. Mrs. Kanka confirmed that the articles of clothing were Megan's. The Kankas then went to police headquarters to make a statement. At 12:17 p.m. on the 30th, Pukenas and McDonough interviewed defendant. They read defendant his Miranda rights. Defendant signed a form stipulating that he understood his rights and waived them. After questioning defendant, Pukenas asked him to write a statement detailing his activities on the 29th, which defendant did while Pukenas and McDonough waited outside. Pukenas noticed differences between defendant's first and second written statements. Pukenas also noted that defendant kept focusing on the 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. time frame, mentioning it three or four times, even though the detectives had not asked him to highlight that period. After detectives reviewed defendant's statement with him, questioning continued. At that point, Pukenas showed defendant either the clothes or the photographs of the clothes. Defendant identified them as rags from his job and continued to deny any involvement in Megan's disappearance. Pukenas and McDonough questioned defendant until approximately 6:35 p.m., allowing him two twenty to twenty-five minute breaks, though he remained in the conference room throughout. Towards the end of this period of questioning, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Pukenas' notes indicate that defendant asked to speak to his roommate, Jenin. Jenin was brought into the interview room, accompanied by Kieffer. Jenin spoke first saying to defendant, "They got you, they got you, they got you. You're going to need a friend on the outside, I'll be that friend." In response, defendant put his head down and then looked up and said, "She's in Mercer County Park." He then proceeded to tell the detectives that Megan was dead and that he had put a bag over her head. He agreed to show the police where she was. Pukenas denied that Jenin was told to ask defendant where the body was or what to say. Police drove defendant to the park. Once inside, defendant brought the detectives directly to the body. The victim was lying in tall weeds concealed from view, with a plastic bag over her head. On the car ride back to headquarters, defendant, at the officers' request, recounted what happened. Defendant made a written statement at Pukenas's request back at headquarters. It was approximately 7:30 p.m. In this statement, which was read to the jury, defendant relayed the following: on the 29th, the victim wanting to see defendant's puppy came over to defendant's house while his roommates were out; defendant brought Megan into the bedroom and started to touch her; the victim screamed and tried to get away; afraid that she would tell her mother, defendant grabbed the victim, ripping her shorts; defendant then grabbed a belt and put it around the victim's neck, pulling her back in the room; she fell and started to bleed; to stop the bleeding and to prevent the blood from getting on the carpet, defendant placed a plastic bag over her head; he used a second plastic bag to tie off the first; at this point, Cifelli and Jenin arrived home; thinking the victim was dead, defendant put her in a large toy box, which he had converted to a tool box, and carried her downstairs; as defendant put the box in the van, he thought he heard the victim cough. Defendant wrote that he was going to dump the body near the power lines, but saw a police car there. Instead, he took the victim to Mercer County Park. As defendant was pulling her out of the box, he placed his fingers in her vagina, "played with her a little" and then dumped her in the weeds. He left the park and went to WaWa, where he bought cigarettes and a paper. He then returned home. Upon arriving home, defendant ripped up the victim's shorts that were in his bedroom and went outside. Mrs. Kanka asked defendant if he had seen the victim. Defendant said that he had seen her by the neighbor's driveway. Defendant then helped look for the victim by handing out fliers. After writing out his statement, defendant's clothes were removed and he was fingerprinted. At 4:00 a.m., while taking consensual nail clipping from defendant, Officer Wilkins noticed what appeared to be a bite mark on defendant's hand. He took photographs of the mark and measured it with defendant's consent. Dr. Haskell Askin, a forensic odontologist, performed a bite mark analysis of defendant's hand. He determined that the victim had bitten defendant, leaving the mark. Dr. Raafat Ahmad, the Mercer County Medical Examiner, performed an autopsy on the victim's body. Dr. Ahmat testified that he found, among other things, petechial hemorrhages in both eyes, a telltale sign of death by strangulation. He found a ligature mark on the neck that was consistent with the leather belt found in defendant's room. The victim had bruising and contusions under her chin, consistent with an object or hand placed on the neck. The victim received a blunt trauma to the eye, caused either by a fist or by striking the head against an object. There was also bruising on the back, arms and legs, indicating the victim had been grabbed and held on her back with someone on top of her. Some of the abrasions could have been caused by rubbing against the carpet. Internally, the victim had bruises on her colon and right kidney, probably caused by separate blows and/or someone's weight on top of her. There was a tear in the hymenal margin and penetration of the vagina caused by a finger or penis. Additionally, there were two tears in the mucosa covering the anus, indicating penetration by a penis. Severe hemorrhaging was caused by three separate blows to the head with a blunt object. Dr. Ahmed concluded that the cause of death was mechanical strangulation with the leather belt, constricting oxygen to the brain, causing brain death within three to four minutes. The plastic bags hastened, but were not the cause of death. Upon reviewing the autopsy, Detective Stanley reread Miranda rights to defendant. Again, defendant waived his rights. Stanley told defendant that based on the autopsy reports, he knew defendant was not telling them everything. Stanley said he knew about the sexual assault and blunt trauma to the head. Defendant then admitted to sexually assaulting Megan. Officer Stanley administered Miranda rights again and obtained another waiver. Stanley then took defendant's formal statement, which was read to the jury at trial. The substance of that statement, as it differed from his first formal statement, is as follows: when Megan tried to leave defendant's room, a struggle ensued; as she fell to the floor, the victim hit her head on the door frame and her face on the dresser; defendant then slapped her face, causing her mouth to bleed; he pulled her pants down and tried, unsuccessfully, to penetrate her vaginally with his penis; he penetrated her with his finger instead. Defendant denied trying to penetrate the victim anally, but "may have slipped" while trying to penetrate her vaginally. During this time, the victim was unconscious but breathing. She was still breathing after he put the bags over her head. Stanley added that after signing this last statement, defendant, in a "flat and unemotional" tone, said he felt he had been "slipping for a while," meaning "getting those feelings for little girls . . . for a couple of weeks or a couple of months." Forensic analysis of the evidence found the following: the tool box in defendant's truck contained an Allen wrench set similar to the wrenches found near Megan's body; an investigator from the FBI DNA Analysis Unit who performed DQ Alpha polymarker testing on rug cuttings from defendant's room concluded that Megan's markers were consistent with two of the rug samples; blood stains found on defendant's belt were consistent with Megan's DNA markers; over 99" of the Caucasian population could be excluded from the possibility of matching Megan's DNA markers; there was insufficient seminal fluid to perform a DNA test on the anal swabs. A forensic chemist and a forensic scientist analyzed the trace evidence. They concluded that the shorts found in the garbage contained fibers chemically and physically consistent with fibers found on defendant's bedroom rug, the sleeping bag, and in the lint trap of defendant's dryer. Fibers found on the sweat pants matched those taken from Megan's blouse. Over thirty hairs found near defendant's bed, on a dishcloth, on the carpet, and in the black felt cloth had the same physical and microscopic qualities as Megan's. There were four head hairs on Megan's blouse that were consistent with defendant's hair and inconsistent with Cifelli's and Jenin's. A pubic hair on Megan's blouse compared favorably to defendant's. The forensic chemist examining fluid evidence found blood on defendant's bed sheets, the black belt, swabs taken from defendant's bedroom door, oral and anal swabs taken from the victim, and on her blouse and earring. Defendant did not testify or present witnesses in the guilt phase. His defense was presented through cross-examination and by argument. The jury found defendant guilty on all counts. B. Penalty Phase 1. Defendant's Case In the penalty phase, defendant presented two witnesses who testified to mitigating factors: Carol Krych, a forensic social worker; and Dr. John Podboy, a clinical and forensic psychologist. Defendant also exercised his right of allocution. The first witness, Ms. Krych, holds a master's degree in counseling, an international certification in drug and alcohol counselling, and has worked as a forensic social worker for nineteen years. Her testimony was based on over two years of investigation into defendant's social history, from birth to the age of seventeen. According to Krych, defendant clearly had a dysfunctional family life. His mother Doris was a promiscuous alcoholic who had a total of ten children by seven men. Several of her children had been placed for adoption or foster care. Doris was not certain when all of her children were born or who their fathers were. An evaluation of Doris by the United Family and Children's Society prepared in 1955 described her as "quite limited mentally and emotionally," "promiscuous," "amoral," and from a "deprived background." In 1960, while living with one William Neill, an excessive drinker who had a criminal record and "abused" Doris, she began a relationship with a man named Skip. Jesse was born to Skip and Doris on April 15, 1961. Although Doris was pregnant with Jesse, she accompanied Skip around the country, as he was "basically running from the law." She drank throughout the pregnancy, although she did "cut down." Doris became pregnant with Paul, Jesse's brother, shortly after Jesse's birth. Doris told Krych that she and Skip lived with her parents on their return to New Jersey. Thereafter they lived in a series of homes, one of which was a "shack." They obtained clothing from "rummage sales," the electricity was frequently off, and the children were cold, dirty and hungry. Although Skip was a painter, Doris said he was "basically . . . a con man" who did not work full-time. The evidence also established that he was a drinker with a criminal record and a tendency toward violence. Krych's testimony and report drew heavily on school records. Although acknowledging that "conflicting materials" exist, Krych testified that defendant had been diagnosed with emotional problems and was classified as "educably retarded" by a child study team. He had multiple social, emotional and academic problems. He was never given follow-up counseling or psychological evaluation in the school system. Krych further asserted that Jesse lacked adequate medical care as a child, based on the fact that Doris had no memory of a family physician and included no medical records in the documents she gave to Krych. Krych conducted extensive interviews with Paul as well. Two of those interviews were taped with Paul's consent and shown to the jury. Paul acknowledged that he had a history of "severe" alcohol and drug addiction, which he attributed to "having such terrible memories." Krych testified that Paul and "other sources" told her that Skip had sexually molested Jesse and Paul several times each week for many years. Paul stated that Skip had drowned a pet dog to scare the boys, forced them to eat a pet rabbit, and cut the head off a cat. Paul also related that when Jesse was eight or nine years of age, the two saw Skip rape a 7 year-old girl in his truck. Skip threatened them and ordered them not to tell anyone. Defendant urges the Court to hold that the amendment merely allows victims to attend a trial and no more. Defendant views the Legislature's commitment to victim's rights too narrowly. Over the past decade, both nationwide and in New Jersey, a significant amount of legislation has been passed implementing increased levels of protection for victims of crime. State of New Jersey in the Interest of J.G., N.S. and J.T., 151 N.J. 565, 581-82 (1997); State v. Muhammad, 145 N.J. 23, 33-34 (1996). Specifically, in New Jersey, the Legislature enacted the "Crime Victim's Bill of Rights," N.J.S.A. 52:4B-34 to -38. Muhammad, supra, 145 N.J. at 33. That amendment marked the culmination of the Legislature's efforts to increase the participation of crime victims in the criminal justice system. Ibid. The purpose of the Victim's Rights Amendment was to "enhance and protect the necessary role of crime victims and witnesses in the criminal justice process. In furtherance of [that goal], the improved treatment of these persons should be assured through the establishment of specific rights."See footnote 55 N.J.S.A. 52:4B-35 (1985). One of the enumerated rights guaranteed for victims is "[t]o have inconveniences associated with participation in the criminal justice process minimized to the fullest extent possible." N.J.S.A. 52:4B-36(d). Giving those words their ordinary meaning, we find that the Crime Victim's Bill of Rights was aimed at preventing the types of hardship argued by the State on behalf of the victim's family. The hardships documented in the Kankas' affidavits are significant. The trip to Camden would add two hours a day to the already substantial period of time spent away from their two young surviving children. The emotional toll of the trial and the financial expense of traveling would greatly add to that burden. Considerations of "fairness" and "respect," supra, justify the trial court's decision to balance the very real harms the Kanskas would suffer if venue were changed to Camden. We recognize that the trial court also must give due respect to the Constitutional rights of defendant. In reversing the change of venue order, the trial court stated that "[t]he court does not see any diminishment of the defendant's rights . . ." resulting from the decision to empanel a foreign jury. The court explicitly stated that it was not favoring the rights of the victims over those of defendant. Rather, it was simply taking their concerns into consideration, as it had not done previously. Taking the concerns of the victim's family into account does not constitute error, provided that the constitutional rights of the defendant are not denied or infringed on by that decision. As we find no infringement upon defendant's constitutional rights, we reject this argument. C. Option of Empaneling Foreign Jury In State v. Harris, supra, 156 N.J. at 146, we held that it was not reversible error to empanel a foreign jury rather than to change venue. Similar to here, Harris involved a capital murder case in which pretrial publicity created a realistic likelihood of prejudice to the defendant. We refused to reverse because the court had "used one of the trial management techniques specifically approved to ensure that a defendant's right to an impartial jury is not compromised." Ibid. We observed that the empanelment of foreign jurors was the first trial management technique suggested in State v. Williams, 93 N.J. 39, 67 (1983) (Williams I). Other "[a]vailable options include a change of venue, selection of a foreign jury, and augmentation of the jury pool." Feaster, supra, 156 N.J. at 50. Nonetheless, we noted that "[i]n future capital cases a court should change the venue of a capital trial when there is a realistic likelihood that presumptively prejudicial publicity will continue during the conduct of a trial." Harris, supra, 156 N.J. at 147. This trial was held before we decided Harris. Hence, when defendant was tried, "every intendment of our law was that the empanelment of a foreign jury be an adequate response to the realistic likelihood that the jury would be subjected to adverse trial publicity." Ibid. We adhere to our observation that the necessity of requiring a change of venue because of a "barrage of inflammatory reporting" imposes an added expense and inconvenience on the State and the victims of the crime. Id. at 147-48. In capital cases, we caution newspapers to refrain from the inflammatory reporting demonstrated by the Trentonian and the Trenton Times in this case and in Harris. However, we decline to reverse on this ground given the state of the law at the time of defendant's trial. 1. Empaneling a Jury from Hunterdon County After having decided to empanel a jury from Camden County, the trial court agreed to hear subsequent argument from the State in favor of empaneling a jury from Hunterdon County. On January 29, 1996, the court granted the State's motion to empanel a jury from Hunterdon. Defendant argues that Camden County was the proper jury pool. Mercer Hunterdon Camden Circulation 51,810 1,342 110 Mercer Hunterdon Camden Circulation 60,215 1,796 under 25 In other cases we have upheld the empanelment of a jury from a county with a far greater circulation disparity than that present here. In Harris, the combined newspaper circulation figures were as follows: approximately 20,000 in Burlington County; 3,000 in Hunterdon County; and 250 in Camden County. We approved the empanelment of a Burlington County jury because the net effect was not significantly different than if the jury had been from Camden County. Id. at 150. Similarly, in Feaster, supra, 156 N.J. at 51, we allowed the empanelment of a Salem County jury even though it had a higher level of publicity than the proposed county. (Observing Salem County "was by no means inundated with publicity about the murders.") In this case, the combined circulation rates of the two papers for Mercer County were 34.3 percent; for Hunterdon County, 2.8 percent; and for Camden County, .03 percent.See footnote 77 Given the assumptions implicit in determining the extent of pretrial publicity, we disagree with the dissent's assertion that this factor weighs heavily in defendant's favor. Post at ___ (slip op. at 19) (Handler, J., dissenting). The circulation rates for Hunterdon County were significantly lower than those of Mercer County. Although Camden County had the lowest circulation rates, the net effect of a two percent disparity indicates that Hunterdon County also was clearly outside the circulation range of the Trenton newspapers. Harris, supra, 156 N.J. at 148-50 (noting defendant's argument that most effective method of minimizing potential prejudice is to pick jury from county where Trenton newspapers are not ubiquitous). With regard to Factor 2, the court properly determined that empaneling a Hunterdon County jury would disrupt the judicial system in Hunterdon County far less than it would disrupt the Camden County judicial system. The trial court contacted Hunterdon County court officials and was assured that jury selection would not disrupt their caseload. Hunterdon County had no capital murder cases pending. By contrast, Camden County had five pending capital murder cases. Moreover, Camden County had 2,057 criminal cases pending indictment as of September 1995, while Hunterdon County had 147. Camden had 4,551 post-indictment cases pending, and Hunterdon County had 180. Clearly, the relative hardships imposed on the prospective courts favored Hunterdon County. Factor 3, the relative burdens on the parties and other interested parties, also favored Hunterdon County. Traveling between Camden and Trenton takes about one hour. By contrast, a trip between Flemington, in Hunterdon County, and Trenton takes about 35 minutes. Obviously, those travel times would affect how long the trial could last each day. Moreover, the area in Camden where the jurors would be dropped off was relatively desolate. A local law enforcement officer described it as a dangerous area after hours. Given those circumstances, the court properly determined that the hardship would be less onerous for Hunterdon County jurors. Concerning factor 4, defendant argues that the demographic characteristics of Camden County are more similar to those of Mercer County. As of 1990, Mercer County had a population of 325,824. Hunterdon's population was 107,776 and Camden's was 502,824. 1994-1995 New Jersey Municipal Data Book (hereinafter, "Data Book"). Females comprised 52.6 percent of Mercer County, 50.1 percent of Hunterdon, and 51.9 percent of Camden counties. In 1989, the per capita income in Mercer was $18,936, $23,236 in Hunterdon and $15,733 in Camden. Data Book at 584-85, 578. The percentage of college graduates was 19.4 percent in Mercer, 23.4 percent in Hunterdon, and 13.4 percent in Camden. Ibid. Thus, in many demographic respects, Hunterdon County was more comparable to Mercer than Camden. With regard to racial demographics, however, there was a disparity between the counties-- Mercer had an 18.89 percent african-american population, Hunterdon had a 2.06 percent african-american population, and Camden had a 16.2 percent african-american population. Defendant's jury pool in Hunterdon County contained only fifteen minority jurors in a pool of 715, substantially less than the african-american representation of 18.8 percent in Mercer County. Defendant argues that the court should have empaneled jurors from Camden County since it more closely reflected the racial composition of Mercer County. Failure to do so, he contends, violated his constitutional rights. This Court has emphasized that a defendant has the "right to trial by an impartial jury drawn from a representative cross section of the community." State v. Gilmore, 103 N.J. 508, 523 (1986). Under Rule 3:14-2, a court must consider racial demographics in deciding whether to change the venue of a criminal trial or to empanel a foreign jury. Harris, supra, 282 N.J. Super. at 417. However, racial demographics should not be the sole factor in that decision. In selecting the county from which to draw a foreign jury, the court "should . . . consider racial demographics together with all other pertinent factors[,]" especially the ABA factors. Id. at 419. Racial demographics should be a particularly weighing factor in selecting the source of a foreign jury when the victim and the defendant belong to different races." Id. at 419-20. In this case, defendant and the victim were of the same race. The Constitution does not guarantee a defendant a jury of any specific racial composition. Taylor v. Louisiana, 419 U.S. 522, 538, 95 S. Ct. 692, 702, 42 L. Ed. 2d 690, 703 (1975). What the Constitution guarantees is that every defendant will be tried by an impartial jury whose members are selected pursuant to "nondiscriminatory criteria." Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 85-86, 106 S. Ct. 1712, 1717, 90 L. Ed. 2d 69, 80 (1986) (challenging prosecutor's use of peremptory strikes in discriminatory manner); Holland v. Illinois, 493 U.S. 474, 480 81, 110 S. Ct. 803, 807, 107 L. Ed. 2d 905, 916-17, reh'g den. 494 U.S. 1050, 110 S. Ct. 1514 (1990). To establish an Equal Protection violation, defendant must show purposeful discrimination in the decisionmaking process, Whitus v. Georgia, 385 U.S. 545, 550, 17 L. Ed. 2d 599, 603-04, 87 S. Ct. 643 (1967), that had a discriminatory effect on the outcome. Wayte v. United States, 470 U.S. 598, 608, 84 L. Ed. 2d 547, 556, 105 S. Ct. 1524 (1985). Purposeful discrimination implies that the decisionmaker selected a particular course of action at least in part 'because of,' not merely 'in spite of' its adverse effects . . . Personnel Administrator of Massachusetts v. Feeney, 442 U.S. 256, 279, 99 S. Ct. 2282, 2296, 60 L. Ed. 2d 870, 887-88 (1979). Thus, to prevail on this claim, defendant would have to show that the trial court's decision to empanel a jury from Hunterdon was motivated by a racially discriminatory purpose or because the court anticipated a racially discriminatory effect. Defendant has not proven such intent or effect. The record is devoid of evidence remotely hinting that the trial court's decision to empanel a jury from Hunterdon County was animated by a discriminatory purpose. The court changed venue to ensure that the victim's family could exercise their State Constitutional right to be present at the trial. It also considered the fact that Hunterdon County is closer in proximity to Mercer County. That would mean more time for trial each day and less time that the jurors would have to travel. The court also took into account the juror's personal security. Jurors drawn from Camden would be dropped off in a dangerous area. Given the trial court's focus on relevant considerations, we find that the empanelment of a Hunterdon jury did not deprive defendant of equal protection. Defendant also has failed to show he was deprived of rights under the Sixth Amendment. The Sixth Amendment, in pertinent part, provides that "the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed . . . ." U.S. Const. amend. VI. "The fair cross-section venire requirement is obviously not explicit in this text, but is derived from the traditional understanding of how an 'impartial jury' is assembled." Holland, supra, 493 U.S. at 480, 110 S. Ct. at 807, 107 L. Ed. 2d at 916. The Constitution does not require that petit juries actually mirror the community or reflect the various groups in the population. Holland, 493 U.S. at 483, 110 S. Ct. at 808, 107 L. Ed. 2d at 918; Taylor, supra, 419 U.S. at 538, 95 S. Ct. at 702, 42 L. Ed. 2d at 703. It does not guarantee that every discrete group will be represented proportionally in the jury venire or on the petit jury. Gilmore, supra, 103 N.J. at 525. The purpose of the cross-section requirement is to assure that defendant is tried before an impartial jury, which the Constitution demands. Holland, supra, 493 U.S. at 480, 110 S. Ct. at 807, 107 L. Ed. 2d at 916. There is no evidence that the racial composition of the jury venire affected the jury's ability to be impartial. This case does not involve any racial issue but rather involves human concerns that touch the hearts and minds of all people, regardless of their race, religion or gender. Given the overwhelming evidence against defendant, it is highly doubtful that a jury from Camden would have reached a different verdict or sentence. Moreover, there is no assurance that the composition of the jury pool would have been radically different in Camden County. Because the case received basically the same amounts of press coverage in both Camden and Hunterdon Counties, and the victim and the defendant were of the same race, the trial court properly decided that the disparate racial composition of the counties was an important, but not the critical factor. Absent a showing of illegal discrimination, defendant had no constitutional right to a jury from Camden County simply because it might have increased his chances of having more minorities on his jury. We find little merit in the dissent's assertion that racial demographics outweigh the other demographic characteristics enumerated in Harris factor four. Post at ___ (slip op. at 23) (Handler, J., dissenting); see Harris, supra, 1282 N.J. Super. at 421. "[W]here . . . race is the demographic characteristic at issue, the change of venue must be to a county having the same racial demographics. . . ." Pressler, Current N.J. Court Rules, comment on R.3:14-2 (1998) (citation omitted) (emphasis added). Unlike Harris, race is not the demographic characteristic at issue. In Harris, the defendant, a black man, was charged with the capital murder and rape of a young white girl. Id. at 411. In this case, defendant and the victim were of the same race. The dissent also asserts that the failure to empanel a jury from Camden constitutes a Sixth Amendment violation of such magnitude that it cannot be considered under the harmless error analysis. Post at ___ (slip op. at 27) (Handler, J., dissenting). In State v. Bey, 112 N.J. 45, 94, 95 (1988) (Bey I), we held that in capital cases "we shall continue to determine the reversibility on the basis of a qualitative determination that considers, in the context of the entire case, whether the error was clearly capable of affecting either the verdict or the sentence." We noted, however, that the only exception where harmless error analysis would not apply involves "constitutional violations . . . [that] by their very nature cast so much doubt on the fairness of the trial process that, as a matter of law, they can never be considered harmless." (quoting Satterwhite v. Texas, 488 U.S. 249, 100 S. Ct. 1792, 1792, 100 L. Ed. 2d 284 (1988).See footnote 88 We find that the alleged error of not having jurors empaneled from Camden was not clearly capable "by its nature of affecting either [defendant's] verdict or the sentence." As we stated in Harris, "The principal risk of jury contamination in this case arose in Mercer county and not in the home counties of the jurors. It made little difference whether the jurors were from Burlington or Camden Counties." Ibid. Once the initial taint is dispelled by the empanelling of a foreign jury, the source of that jury does not "by its very nature" render the trial process so fundamentally unfair as to require automatic reversal. 2. Effect on Jury Moreover, defendant offers no evidence showing that any jury member actually was prejudiced by the trial being held in Mercer County. To the contrary, the evidence indicates that jury members remained untouched by press coverage throughout the trial. Central to the court's decision to empanel a foreign jury was the fact that the Mercer County court administrators had substantial experience in the procedures necessary to protect jurors from trial-related publicity, gained while "host[ing]" the Harris trial. Jurors were picked up each morning and transported to Mercer County. Prior to trial, a special area on the fifth floor of the Mercer County Courthouse was designated for the jurors' use. The court repeatedly admonished jurors that it was vital for them to avoid any publicity about the case and to avoid discussing the matter with anyone. When trial began on May 5, 1997, the trial court told the jurors to eat lunch inside the courthouse and to avoid any contact with outsiders. The court then asked if anyone had been subjected to accounts of the case. All jurors answered in the negative. The court told jurors to inform the court if any information about the case came to their attention during the trial. The court also told jury members to have somebody screen [all media sources] for them. Every single day of the trial the court asked the jurors whether they had seen, heard, or read anything about the case. Every day, the answer was no. Although defendant brought inflammatory news stories about the trial to the court's attention on an ongoing basis, there is no evidence that any of the jury members ever saw any inflammatory publicity. The court took great precautions to ensure that jurors remained isolated. For example, immediately before the penalty phase, the defense moved to terminate the trial and sentence defendant as a non-capital offender because of the Trentonian's unprecedented coverage of the verdict. To see whether any juror was adversely affected by publicity and whether the jurors could remain impartial during the penalty phase, the court individually questioned each juror. At the conclusion of the individual voir dire, the court determined that all jurors remained fair and impartial. The court continued to question jurors about their exposure to publicity throughout the penalty phase. The jurors each time indicated they had not viewed or read any information about the case. It would have been preferable if the trial court had not reversed its decision to change venue. Nevertheless, because of the precautions taken by the trial court, the fact that empanelment of a foreign jury was a valid management technique at the time of the trial to avoid the effect of prejudicial pretrial publicity, and the lack of evidence indicating actual jury taint resulted from the trial being held in Mercer County, defendant's constitutional rights were not infringed upon. The court's decision to reverse its prior determination to change venue and to empanel a foreign jury was not reversible error. The record reveals that the trial court took more than adequate measures to "minimize the danger that prejudice would infiltrate the adjudicatory process." Harris, supra, 156 N.J. at 149. The trial court carefully weighed the Harris factors in selecting a jury from Hunterdon. There is no evidence of purposeful discrimination or actual bias. Empaneling a jury from Hunterdon County did not infringe on or deny defendant's constitutional rights. Accordingly, the trial court's decision to change its original venue order is not an abuse of the trial court's discretion and is not reversible error. The prosecutor then continued: Q. Did he ever say that he didn't mean to kill her? A. He never indicated that at all. Q. Did he ever say he was sorry that he killed her? A. He never said that. Q. Did he ever say any words whatsoever that indicated remorse? A. Nothing like that at all. On redirect, noted that at one point during the interrogation defendant was "talking a little bit more than he had prior to that . . . [b]ut not in any tone of voice that would indicate remorse." The court sustained defense counsel's objection to the conclusory statement about remorse and told the jury to disregard it. On direct examination of Sergeant O'Dwyer, the prosecutor elicited testimony regarding defendant's emotional state during the writing of the first confession. When the prosecutor asked whether there was any "point in time when [defendant] cried during this statement?" The trial court sustained the objection and stated "Please disregard that, ladies and gentlemen. Ms. Flicker, there was no reason for that question whatsoever." The prosecutor then asked Sergeant O'Dwyer to read defendant's statement to the jury. While doing so, O'Dwyer broke down in tears. Beside himself, O'Dwyer accepted the court's invitation to take a break and continue his testimony the next day. The trial court assured defense counsel that if O'Dwyer continued to cry, someone else would read the statement. Defense counsel, noting that other officers also had become emotional while on the stand, suggested to the court that such testimony was a "farce." The trial court disagreed. The court then stated on the record that an "emotional moment" such as O'Dwyer's was to be expected from time to time and admonished the jurors to set aside any emotional response to O'Dwyer's breakdown. The court reminded them to rely solely on the evidence. The next morning, the court reminded jurors that O'Dwyer's response was not evidence and that they should rely solely on the evidence. The judge then asked if any juror had been affected. No juror responded. Defendant alleges that the prosecutor's line of questioning improperly emphasized defendant's lack of remorse. He suggests that the prosecutor's primary purpose was to engender contempt for defendant. That is an improper motive. However, because defendant's confessions were critical to the State's case, we find that defendant's emotional state and state of mind when he confessed are relevant. They demonstrate that defendant's confessions were made knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently. They show that he was in full command of his faculties and not overcome by emotion. Moreover, the prosecutor's questions were based on evidence in the record, and each objection was supplemented with a curative instruction. For all those reasons, we do not find that the prosecutor's questions concerning defendant's demeanor and emotional state constitute plain error. With respect to O'Dwyer's breakdown, we further find that any potential prejudice was ameliorated by the curative instructions given both immediately after and on the morning after the incident. The court also received affirmance from the jurors that they were not affected by emotional outbursts. At most, minimal prejudice resulted from that line of questioning. 3. Repeated Reference to Defendant's Concern Over His Hand and Related Anger Towards Victim During the crime, the victim bit defendant's hand. At the police station, defendant stated at least three times that he was in considerable pain and blamed the victim for inflicting the wound. Dr. Askin, a forensic dentist, examined defendant's hand at the station and performed bite-mark identification and analysis. At trial, Sergeant Stanley testified about those events at the police station. He was asked: Q: Was there any further mention of the hand? A: Yes. He continued to complain about his hand being hurt and, again, he felt that Megan was responsible and he blamed her for that injury. The statements clearly suggest that defendant was attracted to young girls and acted on those feelings. However harmful to defendant, we find the statements properly were admitted. The prosecution is allowed to vigorously and forcefully present the State's case. Rose, supra, 112 N.J. at 509. Even if the statements were inflammatory, the prosecutor did not mischaracterize the evidence. The statements were defendant's own words and established his motive in committing the crime. Moreover, they were made knowingly and voluntarily. We also reject defendant's argument that the statements improperly referred to uncharged misconduct. The court redacted all inadmissible portions of defendant's statement, i.e., those that referred to his prior convictions. The admitted portions did not specifically inform the jury of defendant's prior crimes and went only to the evidence in this case. Introduction of this relevant evidence was not error. 6. Elicitation of Testimony Regarding Prints of "Smaller Person" Found in Defendant's Bedroom The defendant also cites Officer Shaw's testimony regarding fingerprint evidence taken from defendant's bedroom as proof that the prosecution was "smearing defendant." Officer Shaw testified that he found a latent fingerprint on the dresser mirror during an authorized search of defendant's bedroom. Shaw described the evidence as "just a small portion of a print, as if it could have been made by a smaller person." Defense counsel objected, but the court overruled his objection and allowed Shaw to explain that the fingerprint did not match the victim's. In defendant's view, "[t]he implication of this testimony was clear: it suggested that defendant had had another child in his bedroom at some time." Thus, the testimony "impl[ied] that defendant had been guilty of other, similar misconduct." Defendant contends this deprived him of a fair trial. We find that any prejudice resulting from this comment was minimal. Shaw's statement regarding the smaller person was contained in his police report detailing his investigation. It came out during that testimony and was not specifically elicited by the prosecution. Moreover, the prosecutor immediately dropped the inquiry, neither pressing Shaw nor returning to the subject thereafter. Because the comment was brief and was not pressed by the prosecution, it could not have produced an improper result given the overwhelming evidence against defendant. 7. Other Alleged Incidents of Misconduct Defendant argues that the prosecution improperly: addressed defendant's change of appearance between the time of the crime and trial to depict defendant as the "village pervert"; used gloves when touching defendant's clothes but not the victims; elicited testimony that the victim's mother cried while talking to police; and disparaged defense counsel by questioning his investigative technique. The State maintains that questions regarding defendant's appearance established that defendant accurately was identified as the perpetrator of the crime. Although the State's argument that identification was at issue in this case is not convincing, we find nothing overly suggestive in the prosecutor's questioning. Nor do we find that the fact that the prosecutor wore plastic gloves while handling defendant's clothes but not while handling the victim's clothes, had the capacity to deprive defendant of a fair trial. Neither was it improper for the prosecutor to elicit the fact that the victim's mother cried when she was shown pieces of her daughter's clothing. The testimony simply explained police conduct. Moreover, any error resulting from this line of questioning was cured when the court promptly sustained defendant's objection. Finally, although defendant correctly objected to the prosecutor's suggestion that the defense had an obligation to examine the casts and photographs prepared by Dr. Askin, the trial court cured any prejudice in this regard with a prompt, accurate, and clear statement of the law. 8. Guilt Phase Summation Defendant characterizes the guilt phase summation as "a moveable feast of prosecutorial misconduct." The inappropriateness of the summation, defendant claims, is by itself sufficient to warrant reversal of his conviction. He claims the following soliloquy both slanders his character and inflames the jury: What kind of man could do such awful deeds? What kind of man could commit such evil acts? The kind of man who could cavalierly dump a child's body and make his next stop a WAWA. The kind of man who could, after executing her daughter, look Maureen Kanka in the eye, within minutes, and not flinch. The kind of man who had the unmitigated gall to offer to hand out fliers for the child whose life he had just snuffed out. The kind of man who, over the course of two days, could talk about the rape and murder and the brutalizing of a child and never show a shred of emotion. The kind of man who could talk about Megan's death and blame her because his hand hurt. The kind of man like the Defendant. The Defendant killed to protect his own self interest. He killed, he claims to protect himself, because he didn't want Megan to get loose. He didn't want Megan to tell on him. He didn't kill in a rage. He didn't kill in a panic. He didn't kill by accident. This killing was so cold and so calculating that it is chilling in the extreme. Defendant further claims the following statement was an allegation of uncharged misconduct: He had been lusting for this child for weeks or months, as he told Sergeant Stanley on Sunday. He had been watching little girls for weeks and months, and getting those feelings for them. It is an image that is so appalling that it is hard to put into words. He had been lusting after this child. Defendant also objects to the prosecutor's reference to the fact that defendant did not call to the stand individuals that he claimed actually committed the murders. The prosecutor stated, based upon all you saw, and all you heard and all you know about his activities, and all you know about his behavior, is there one bit of testimony to suggest [he was covering up for Jenin or Cifelli]? Finally, defendant objects to the prosecutor's finale: Members of the jury, sexual violation in the park. Is there any image more despicable? Is there any act more depraved than that one? After all that he had done to that child, and he had to violate her one more time. He didn't rip the bags off her head to try to save her. He stuck his finger in her vagina. Can there by any question of his intent? At this point defense counsel objected. The court expressed some concern about the childhood language but, noting no reaction from the jury when the language was spoken, overruled defense counsel's objection. The prosecutor continued: Whenever you see such a scene again, in your mind's eye you will see Megan. You will see her laugh, you will see her smile, and you will think -- Defense counsel objected again; the trial court overruled his objection. The prosecutor continued and eventually concluded with: There is only one word that can begin to do justice, and that one word must come from you. And that word is guilty. Guilty as to purposeful or knowing murder by his own conduct. Guilty as to every single count in the indictment. Through your verdicts, I ask you to announce that the Defendant kidnaped, raped, sodomized and murdered Megan. Thank you. Following summation, the trial court spoke to the jury. He said the summations on both sides were understandably emotional "because this is an emotional case." However, the prosecutor's last comments were "too emotional in nature." The court specifically told the jurors to disregard the portion of the summation asking "why, why, what Megan may be thinking of, things of that nature. . . ." After the jurors left the courtroom, defense counsel moved for a mistrial, noting that while she hated to interrupt somebody's summation or somebody's opening, she wondered if she was doing the right thing by sitting there and not objecting, given the inflammatory remarks of the prosecution. The court denied the mistrial motion. He found that, overall, the prosecutor's comments were based on the facts in evidence and were not overly-inflammatory given the circumstances of the case. The trial court further noted that he had watched the jurors and had not observed any adverse affects. When court reconvened the following day, the trial court admonished the jury that they were not to accept the comments made on summation as evidence. Rather, the court clarified, "if the recollection of the attorney with regard to evidence, the testimony presented before you does not coincide with yours, you are under a duty to disregard those comments and to rely on your own recollection . . . because you are the sole judges of the facts. The trial court continued: But my instruction to you at this time is direct, and it's this: Please separate and completely disregard as you see fit, emotional words, words or phrases or images that have a tendency to inflame from descriptive language that has come before you that moves the argument of counsel forward, that is relevant to a discussion of the evidence and the inferences that may flow from the evidence. Language that goes to an understanding of that is certainly acceptable. Language that would inflame and serve no purpose, other than to generate sympathy or passion, has no place in the jury room, has no place in any decision that [you] make. So things such as bias, prejudice, sympathy must be excluded, and I instruct you to use your very good judgment when you are considering the summations of counsel in this regard. Prosecutors in criminal cases are expected to make vigorous and forceful closing arguments to juries. We afford prosecutors considerable leeway in closing arguments so long as their comments are reasonably related to the scope of the evidence presented. State v. Harris, 141 N.J. 525, 559 (1995). Ibid. As Justice Clifford recognized in his dissent in State v. DiPaglia, 64 N.J. 288, 305 (1974): Nevertheless, the primary duty of a prosecutor is not to obtain convictions but to see that justice is done. Ramseur, supra, 106 N.J. at 320. "It is as much his duty to refrain from improper methods calculated to produce a wrongful conviction as it is to use every legitimate means to bring about a just one." State v. Farrell, 61 N.J. 99, 105 (1972) (quoting Berger v. United States, 295 U.S. 78, 88, 55 S. Ct. 629, 633, 79 L. Ed. 1314, 1321 (1935). We agree that some portions of the prosecutor's summation were improper. Any capital trial will necessarily involve testimony and physical evidence pertaining to the victim. This evidence, though admissible, cannot be used in a manner calculated to so confuse or impassion the jury that it inappropriately intertwines irrelevant emotional considerations with relevant evidence. There are occasions when evidence relating to the victim's character and personality may be probative of critical aspects of the trial, e.g., defendant's assertion of self-defense or provocation. Where, however, as in the matter before us, the victim's character has no bearing on the substantive issue of guilt or the penalty to be imposed, the prosecution may not comment on the evidence in a manner that serves only to highlight the victim's virtues in order to inflame the jury. A. I quote, "I'm through doing anything for the defense." And I asked him, well, why are you through doing anything with the defense? And he said, "I've caught them in so many lies, I'm sick of them." Q. Did he make comments about Lois and Carol [defense mitigation experts] being two-faced and willing to do anything to win this case? MR. GREENMAN: Objection, Judge. Leading. THE COURT: Objection sustained. Defendant argues that that testimony discredited the defense team and suggested the defense was being deceptive. The State contends that Paul's statements about Krych and Nardone were relevant to the jury's consideration of the weight to be given to the expert's testimony. We agree. Sergeant Raymond provided evidence that was important for the jury to hear in determining whether defense witnesses were credible. See N.J.R.E. 607. Defendant further argues that other excerpts from Raymond's testimony implied that the defense was concealing evidence. We find no merit to those contentions. 4. Penalty Phase Summation Finally, defendant claims that the prosecutor's penalty phase summation was "an unmitigated assault" upon the character of defense counsel and the defense witnesses. Defendant argues that the following passages imply that defense counsel was dishonest and trying to mislead the jury: Have you seen any of those photographs showing the residences, showing the family, showing the family gatherings? Do you think that those photographs documented that things were not as the defense would have you believe? Do you think that if those photos showed shacks and rags and squalor, don't you know you would have seen them? They would have been in here poster size. But you didn't see any of them. In fact, you didn't hear about those albums and that they existed and that Carol Krych had them until I brought it up on cross-examination. Again, members of the jury, think about what hasn't been given to you, what hasn't been revealed to you when you assess the integrity of the defense presentation. Defendant claims those statements improperly suggest the defense was withholding unfavorable evidence. The trial court directed the prosecutor not to comment on who the defense chose to call as experts. The trial court instructed the prosecutor to comment only on "the qualifications of experts and what they have said, and things of that nature." The court also instructed the jury that "[t]he defense decision making as to who to obtain as experts, how to defend, how to structure the defense, those types of things are not for consideration for the jury and you should exclude any type of reference or any inference that could be made with regard to that . . . ." Defendant nevertheless contends that a stronger instruction was needed. Defendant also challenges the prosecutor's discussion of witness Krych's testimony. The prosecutor stated: On direct examination she told you that she was a forensic social worker, and her job was to present you this fair and balanced picture of the defendant's background and childhood. What you didn't learn until cross-examination was that Ms. Krych was a capital mitigation specialist, and one who was handsomely paid for her role in this case. And ironically, if you will recall, she would not admit that she was a capital mitigation specialist until I confronted her with her own notes where she described herself that way. If the defense is so proud of that, then why did she take such pains to deny it under oath until I confronted her with it? Her role, her job in this case, I suggest to you, was to present a picture of the defendant as sympathetic as possible. It didn't matter if the truth had to be stretched. It didn't matter if information was left out or omitted. Truth became irrelevant. Lastly, defendant challenges the prosecutor's discussion of Paul Timmendequas' statements. The prosecutor stated: You have also heard that [Paul] now believes that his brother should die for what he did. The defendant's own brother thinks he should die for what he did. This is very compelling, I would suggest. While conceding that evidence of Paul's change of opinion was fair game, defendant argues that the prosecutor went too far. The prosecutor was "essentially arguing that, if the defendant's own brother thought execution was appropriate, who was the jury to argue." Such an argument, he claims, is grounds for reversal. Defendant also contends that the cumulative effect of the prosecutor's misconduct is so egregious that it mandates reversal of the death sentence. See State v. Baker, 310 N.J. Super. 128, 139-40 (App. Div. 1998). In response, the State argues that the comments were grounded in evidence contained in the record. The State claims that the prosecutor was merely "comment[ing] about gaps in the defense presentation and the interest and bias of certain witness [sic]"--comments, arguably, which are "totally proper." We find that much of the prosecutor's questioning was proper. The prosecutor asked the jury to "look at the mitigating, the entire presentation by the defense, and evaluate the quality of the information that was presented . . . ." The prosecutor asked the jury to consider the evidence that was elicited from defense witnesses on direct and cross-examination, and on rebuttal. The State's questioning revealed gaps in the defense's case. The State offered evidence calling into question the credibility of defense witnesses. It is not improper for the prosecution to suggest that the defense's presentation was imbalanced and incomplete. Defendant's complaints regarding the prosecutor's comments about Carol Krych similarly are without merit. The prosecutor's comments regarding Krych were grounded in the record. Krych identified herself on direct examination as a forensic social worker. On cross-examination, when confronted with documents in her own writing, she finally conceded that she was a capital mitigation specialist. Witnesses that she referred to in her report insisted they had been misquoted, and documents that contradicted the defense theory of defendant's background were not presented in the defense's case. The jury was entitled to know that information in determining the weight to give Ms. Krych's testimony. The prosecutor's questions provided a basis for the jury to infer that Krych was biased and was presenting a picture of a defendant that was not completely accurate, albeit sympathetic. It does not denigrate the defense, as the State points out, to "speak frankly about what is manifest in the record." When deciding how much worth to give to the defense case, the jury clearly could consider whether it was receiving a full picture, as interest and bias are always relevant. N.J.R.E. 607; State v. Gorrell, 297 N.J. Super. 142, 149 (App. Div. 1996) (citation omitted). Because the prosecutor's comments were based on evidence in the record, and the reasonable inferences that could be drawn from that evidence, the prosecutor acted properly. Harris, supra, 156 N.J. at 194. Lastly, the prosecutor's reference to the fact that Paul Timmendequas had changed his mind and wanted his brother to die was, at most, harmless error. The jury had been shown two tapes of interviews with Paul. The tapes discussed the boys' childhood and history of abuse. Based upon those tapes, the defense argued in summation that if there's any doubt in your mind that Paul Timmedequas was telling the truth about the sexual abuse, I ask you to watch those tapes again. Don't forget [what] Paul said with all the abuse . . . . What reason would Paul have now to recant what he said on the tapes? The prosecution emphasized Paul's change of mind to establish that the presentation of defendant's background had been exaggerated. That is evidenced by the fact the prosecutor launched into a review of Paul's version of the boys' childhood immediately after pointing out that Paul had changed his mind. The statement contradicted the picture of abuse painted by the defense, challenged the defense theory and rebutted the defense's evidence. It was drawn from evidence in the record. At most, the comment was harmless, since the jury knew from the tape that Paul had changed his mind and wanted defendant to die. We disagree also that the prosecutor denigrated the defense by pointing out what evidence was not presented. In Rose, we held that the cumulative effect of prosecutorial misconduct warranted reversal. Rose, supra, 112 N.J. at 524. Denigration of defense counsel was one ground for that decision. Id. at 518 19. The Rose prosecutor implied that counsel told the experts what to say so that defendant would beat the penalty. Ibid. We objected to the statement because it implied "that the expert's testimony was fabricated or contrived, with the assistance of defense counsel." Ibid. The prosecutor in that case also repeatedly referred to facts outside the record, referred to inadmissible evidence, and improperly asserted that the law mandated the death penalty for [the] defendant. Id. at 514-24. Such conduct, we concluded, clearly was outside the bounds of propriety. Prosecutors must argue based on facts in the record. State v. Moore, 122 N.J. 420, 462 (1991). In Moore,comments to the effect that a defense expert was a "professional bleeding heart who was indeed duped by the defendant[,]" were deemed improper. Id. at 461-62. Comments "that the defense realized that the defense of insanity was meritless" also were improper expressions of the prosecutor's own conclusions. Ibid. While overruling the conviction on other grounds, we cautioned prosecutors not to denigrate defense counsel or witnesses based on their own feelings. Ibid. Similarly, in State v. Bey, 129 N.J. 557, 622 (1992) (Bey III), we found it "unprofessional" for a prosecutor to argue that a defense expert had "a theory first and he [was] going to pick and choose facts to make the theory work". We did not, however, find it to be harmful error because it went to the weight to be given to the expert's testimony. Ibid. We are satisfied that the prosecutor's comments in this case do not constitute reversible error. The prosecutor's comments are less prejudicial than those made in Rose, supra, 112 N.J. at 510-14. The prosecutor here argued facts contained in the record. She urged the jury to carefully evaluate the mitigating evidence and its origins. She focused on the inconsistencies in the evidence and pointed out the flaws in the defense's theory. Although we strongly disapprove of attacks on the integrity of defense counsel, we do not think that is what occurred here. The prosecutor sought to establish bias and interest. Under the New Jersey Rules of Evidence, a party can challenge credibility by introducing extrinsic evidence, i.e. proof by others that material facts are other than as testified to by the witness under attack. State v. Silva, 131 N.J. 438, 444 (1993). Indeed, it is essential for the jury to have such information when making credibility determinations. Accordingly, we find that the methods used by the prosecutor were entirely proper. N.J.R.E. 607. After carefully examining the record and recognizing that some of the prosecutor's remarks were improper, nonetheless, we are fully satisfied "that it was the weight of the evidence, particularly the damning statements uttered by defendant himself, that led to this capital murder conviction rather than the prosecutor's improper comments. . . ." Feaster, supra, 156 N.J. at 63-4. We conclude that the alleged misconduct was not so egregious as to deny defendant a fair trial. Moore, supra, 122 N.J. at 462 (stating test for evaluating allegations of prosecutorial misconduct). On April 18, 1997, defendant challenged the Hunterdon County's jury pool selection process on the ground that it was not random, as required by N.J.S.A. 2B:20-1. He asked for a stay in the proceedings pending further investigation and hearings on the matter. In support of his motion, defendant relied solely on materials prepared by social psychologist John Lamberth, Ph.D. for a similar motion filed in the pending capital case of State v. Robert Simon.See footnote 1010 Dr. Lamberth's statistical analysis of the jury pool in Simon revealed that, given the population of Hunterdon County, an extraordinary number of jurors were drawn from the same families. Lamberth offered no independent analysis of the jury pool in defendant's case. Defendant requested a stay so the defense expert could further investigate the County's compliance with statutory guidelines for jury pool selection under N.J.S.A. 2B:20-2, 20-3 and 20-4. The trial court denied defendant's motion. The trial court observed that, pursuant to Rule 1:8-5, jury lists were made available to both parties on January 13, 1997, twenty days before voir dire commenced. One hundred and sixteen days had passed since that date. Moreover, defendant's motion offered no indication that defendant had attempted to view the information on Hunterdon County's jury selection procedures, as allowed by N.J.S.A. 2B:20-4(e)(2). Defendant's motion was based on a speculative certification challenging a jury in another case. Because defendant had failed to make out a prima facie case for a violation, the court concluded that relaxing the rules would indulge a fishing expedition: "There's nothing before me to suggest that random selection of the jury pool based upon electronic means was insufficient, was prejudicial, was not satisfactory." The court denied the motion, ruling that defendant had failed to show good cause to excuse the delay in filing. 2. The Law Any party can challenge the jury array on the ground that the jurors were not selected, drawn or summoned according to law. R. 1:8-3(b). In State v. Long, 204 N.J. Super. 469, 482 (Law Div. 1985), the court held that a defendant must challenge the petit jury within thirty days of entering an initial plea. (reading R. 1:8 3 and R. 3:10-2 in pari materia). The court may enlarge the time period if good cause is shown. Id. at 483. If the defendant makes a prima facie showing of actual prejudice to his right to a fair and impartial jury, the court can relax the time period. State v. Butler, 155 N.J. Super. 270, 271 (App. Div. 1978). Challenges asserting constitutional rights, however, "must be shown to rest on fact. Mere conclusions are inadequate." State v. Robinson, 128 N.J. Super. 525, 530 (Law Div. 1974) (holding that defendant had not made out prima facie case for non randomness in grand and petit jury selection process given that no figures or information regarding source of selection process were presented). Where a defendant has ample opportunity to investigate improper jury pooling, courts likely will reject challenges to the jury array made in an untimely manner. State v. McClain, 263 N.J. Super. 488, 496-97 (App. Div.), certif. denied, 134 N.J. 477 (1993); Robinson, supra, 128 N.J. Super. at 529 (holding that because defense had many months to investigate jury pool selection procedures, challenge to array was properly denied). Time limitations on these challenges are strictly enforced to foster judicial efficiency. Gerald, supra, 113 N.J. at 128. Although a trial court does not abuse its discretion by granting untimely challenges to jury randomness, acceptance of such eleventh hour claims is by no means constitutionally compelled. Long, supra, 198 N.J. Super. at 37. C. Admissibility of Defendant's Statements 1. Defendant's Claims N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(2)(b) provides: The defendant may offer, without regard to the rules governing the admission of evidence at criminal trials, reliable evidence relevant to any of the mitigating factors. N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(2)(a) further provides that a defendant need produce only some evidence that a mitigating factor exists to bring it into play and that he "shall not have a burden with regard to the establishment of a mitigating factor." The jury in a capital case must not be precluded from considering "any aspect of a defendant's character or record and any of the circumstances of the offense that the defendant proffers as a basis for a sentence less than death," pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(5)(h). State v. Loftin, 146 N.J. 295, 368 (1996) (Loftin I) (citing Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 604, 98 S. Ct. 2954, 2964, 57 L. Ed. 2d 973, 990 (1978)). Although the "catch-all" factor has been interpreted broadly in New Jersey, Loftin I, supra, 146 N.J. at 368, the scope of that factor is not unlimited. State v. Gerald, 113 N.J. 40, 103 (1988). Only mitigating evidence that is relevant to a defendant's character, record, or to the circumstances of the offense may be considered. Loftin I, supra, 146 N.J. at 368 (citing Gerald, supra, 113 N.J. at 103; State v. Davis, 96 N.J. 611, 618 (1984); accord Lockett, supra, 438 U.S. at 604, 98 S. Ct. at 2964, 57 L. Ed. 2d at 990). "Character" has been defined by this Court as embracing those qualities that distinguish a specific person. Davis, supra, 96 N.J. at 618. The "circumstances of the offense" refer to the circumstances of the commission of the crime itself[,] such as the level of defendant's participation in the crime and the egregiousness of the act. Gerald, supra, 113 N.J. at 104. 3. Analysis The trial court properly refused to submit the proposed mitigating factors to the jury. Defendant offered no support that his roommates participated in or were responsible for the crime. Moreover, nothing in the records supports the notion that defendant was unduly influenced by Jenin or by anyone else. In the absence of reliable evidence establishing those facts, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to submit those mitigating factors to the jury. Similarly, the fact that defendant offered to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence also was properly rejected by the court. Defendant offered no evidence establishing that the offer to plead guilty related to defendant's character or the circumstances of the offense. More importantly, there was simply no evidence that a plea offer ever was made. The defense was unwilling to waive attorney-client privilege to present evidence that defendant offered to plead guilty in exchange for a non death sentence, and the State would not stipulate to that fact. The defense offered to have Krych testify that defendant told her he was willing to plead guilty to certain crimes that would subject him to a life sentence. Because Krych had no knowledge that defendant actually made an offer to the State, her testimony would have been irrelevant. Because defendant had no relevant, reliable evidence to support the submission of that mitigating factor to the jury, the trial court's decision was proper. The fact that defendant would spend his life in jail, would be ineligible for parole, and therefore would not be a continuing danger to young girls, also was properly excluded from the jury's consideration. In Biegenwald IV, supra, 126 N.J. at 49, we concluded that the fact that a defendant is serving a life sentence and will never be eligible for parole is not, by itself, a mitigating factor. Moreover, in State v. Morton, 155 N.J. 383, 466 (1998), we held that it was error to allow the defendant to submit evidence of parole ineligibility as mitigation. Parole ineligibility is not a mitigating factor. Ibid. It does not relate to defendant's character or the circumstances of the crime. It merely constitutes the passage of time over which the defendant has no control. State v. Nelson, 155 N.J. 487, 504 (1998) cert. den. ___ U.S. ___, 119 S. Ct. 890, ___ L. Ed.2d ___, 67 SLW 3322 (1999) (holding that juries should be told that they are not to consider defendant's alternative sentence as an aggravating or mitigating factor); Cooper, supra, 151 N.J. at 404-05 (finding parole ineligibility not mitigating factor, as it would lead to incongruous result that the more crimes a defendant committed, the more mitigating evidence he or she would be able to submit"). The fact that defendant would not be a continuing danger to little girls also is not mitigating evidence. That argument is based on the premise that defendant will be incarcerated for life and will have no contact with children. This court has repeatedly rejected the notion that the length of a defendant's potential non-death sentence is a mitigating factor. Cooper, supra, 151 N.J. at 404-05. Defendant cannot circumvent that conclusion by couching the same argument in different terms. In sum, we agree with the trial court's determination that defendant's potential threat to young girls and alternative life sentence were not proper mitigating factors. Even if the court should have submitted to the jury the fact that defendant waived challenges to Joan's Law, we conclude that any error was harmless. The court's instructions prior to the penalty phase deliberations informed jurors that defendant waived his right to challenge Joan's Law. The court's penalty phase instruction also apprised jurors that defendant would receive a life sentence if not given the death penalty. Because the jury was aware of that information, further evidence about defendant's alternative sentence would not have changed the outcome of the jury's deliberations. H. Refusal to Admit Krych's Report Into Evidence During the penalty phase, defendant sought to introduce into evidence a report prepared by Carol Krych, the forensic social worker retained by the defense to investigate defendant's background for mitigation purposes. Krych compiled approximately 450 pages of documentation and notes pertaining to defendant's childhood and social history, based on interviews with family members, teachers, friends, psychologists and social workers. Her findings were summarized in a 32-page Report (the "Report"). During direct examination, Krych testified to the interviews she had conducted, using the Report as a guide. The defense introduced into evidence fifty-seven exhibits, including defendant's father's arrest and conviction records and defendant's school records. On cross-examination, the State produced contradictory documents and other evidence that called into question the reliability of the Report and of Krych's testimony. Defendant moved the Report into evidence, arguing that the jury should be allowed to examine the Report and assess its reliability for itself. The State argued that it was Krych's credibility, and not that of the Report, that was at issue. Moreover, the State argued, the report was no different than a police report that ordinarily would not be admitted into evidence when the recording officer is present at trial and is subject to cross-examination. Because Krych had the opportunity to testify before the jury, the State argued that her Report was unnecessary. The trial court excluded the Report, finding it had no probative force because Krych had testified about its contents and some of the witnesses she interviewed also had testified. The court noted that the 57 exhibits forming the basis for the Report had been submitted to the jury as evidence. Those exhibits would serve the same purpose as the Report. Moreover, the trial court agreed that Krych's Report was similar to a police report. Since a police officer's investigative report is not ordinarily submitted into evidence when the officer testifies, Krych's report also should not be submitted. The Report ran the risk of confusing the jury. Based on those factors, the court found the report to be cumulative and, hence, unnecessary evidence. On its second day of deliberations, at 9:49 a.m., the jury sent the court a note stating, "[W]e are unable to locate Carol Krych's 32-page report. Please provide a copy." The court informed the jury they had all the documents required for their consideration. At that point, defendant reiterated his request that the Report be admitted into evidence and submitted to the jury, especially since the jury was now requesting it. Defendant added that the Report, by itself, was probative of the catch-all mitigating factors on which the jury would be deliberating. It also formed the basis for conclusions made by defense mitigation witness Dr. Podboy. Submitting the Report also would save jurors time by allowing them to find the important details of Krych's investigation without having to go through 450 pages of exhibits. Interpreting the jury's note as an indication that the jury erroneously believed they were supposed to have the Report, rather than a request for the Report of the jury's own accord, the court refused defendant's request. The court simply did not believe that submitting the report would increase the jury's ability to determine the reliability issues. The court stated, "Why should the report go before them, but no other written documentation which counters or challenges the report?" 1. The Law N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3(c)(2)(b) provides, in relevant part: The defendant may offer, without regard to the rules governing the admission of evidence at criminal trials, reliable evidence relevant to any of the mitigating factors. If the defendant produces evidence in mitigation which would not be admissible under the rules governing admission of evidence at criminal trials, the State may rebut that evidence without regard to the rules governing the admission of evidence at criminal trials. We have held that when there is any doubt about admissibility of mitigating evidence, that doubt should be resolved in the defendant's favor. Bey III, supra, 129 N.J. at 587; State v. Savage 120 N.J. 594, 638 (1990). Evidence that fails the admissibility test under the strict rules of evidence should be admitted if relevant, and the shortcomings go to the weight of the testimony, "properly relegating to the adversarial process the task of 'separating the wheat from the chaff.'" Davis, supra, 96 N.J. at 623 (quoting Barefoot v. Estelle, 463 U.S. 880, 889 n.7, 103 S. Ct. 3383, 3398 n.7, 77 L. Ed. 2d 1090, 1109 n.7 (1983). The trial court ultimately retains discretion to exclude evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by its speculative nature and the risk of confusion. Id. at 623; State v. Pitts, 116 N.J. 580, 633 (1989). Whether the trial court abused its discretion in ruling that the Report was not admissible because it was merely cumulative evidence and would confuse the jury is a close call. Based on this Court's tolerant standard governing the admissibility of mitigating evidence, the jury's inquiry about the Report, and the fact that the Report furnished the factual basis for Dr. Podboy's expert testimony, we believe the better result would have been for the trial court to admit the evidence. Nonetheless, the trial court's refusal to admit the Report into evidence was harmless error. The only "prejudice" defendant cites is that the jury unanimously rejected, under catch-all factor c(5)(h), mitigating factors eight and twenty-four. Factor eight stated: Jesse Timmendequas' childhood and adolescence were characterized by exposure to domestic violence, criminal activity, substance abuse, instability of the home, emotional and physical neglect, and severe physical and sexual abuse. His life was void of any normalcy. His parents did not serve as role models of normal behavior and treated him terribly. Also, the family was extremely poor and primarily existed on public assistance, especially during the time period that [Defendant's father] was in the home. Although not all the jury members found factor eight to be present, they unanimously agreed on the following factor 25(a): Jesse Timmendequas' childhood and adolescence were characterized by exposure to domestic violence, criminal activity, substance abuse, instability of the home, emotional and physical neglect, and possible physical and sexual abuse. His parents did not serve as role models of normal behavior and treated him poorly. Also, the family was poor and received public assistance. Factor eight and Factor 25(a) are identical, except for the sentence "His life was void of any normalcy." The minimal difference between these two catch-all factors could not have changed the result of defendant's penalty phase. Factor 24 stated: Despite being evaluated and classified as mentally retarded with emotional problems by the public school's child study team, none of the professionals provided follow-up services such as counseling or further psychological evaluation for Jesse Timmendequas. Krych specifically testified twice to the fact that defendant did not receive follow-up counseling in school. Thus, the jurors had the information necessary to find factor 24 -- the Report would not have supplemented that information. As to factor 24, the trial court was correct in concluding that the evidence merely would have been cumulative. We emphasize that this is not a case where the jury did not have the relevant evidence before it. The 450 documents that formed the basis for the report were placed into evidence for the jury to read. Krych testified for three days about the findings of her investigation. Defendant essentially alleges that the evidence could have been presented in an easier manner for the jury to review. Nevertheless, no evidence was concealed from the jury. We, therefore, conclude that defendant cannot show any prejudice resulting from the decision not to admit the Report into evidence. Even if the failure to admit the Report was error, it constituted harmless error since the jury had the information prior to its deliberations. I. Victim-Impact Evidence Defendant, for the first time on appeal, asserts that the trial court's instructions on victim-impact testimony did not comport with the procedure outlined in State v. Muhammad, supra, 145 N.J. at 32, for weighing aggravating and mitigating factors under N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(6) and (5)(h). The trial court instructed jurors as follows: [I]f you as a juror have not found to be present mitigating factor (h) or mitigating factors in addition to those listed, meaning if you haven't found affirmatively as to factors number 3 through 25, if no one found any of those, you then must not give any consideration to this evidence regarding the victim's character or the impact of the murder on survivors. And that is so, because it only may be used in terms of balancing or in terms of assessing the weight to be given to the evidence concerning the defendant's character or the circumstances of the offense. Defendant now complains that the above instruction did not clearly inform jurors they could consider victim-impact evidence only if they first found mitigating factor c(5)(h). Defendant argues that the instruction confused jurors and suggested they could consider victim impact evidence in determining the existence of a specific mitigating factor. Defendant further asserts that the penalty verdict sheet misled the jury. Finally, defendant contends that neither the court nor the verdict sheet apprised jurors that they were not required to use the victim impact evidence to lessen the weight of any mitigating c(5)(h) factor. We disagree. The Court in Muhammad, supra, explained the proper use of victim-impact evidence, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 32C:11-3c(6), the "Victim Impact Statute": The victim impact statute provides that if the defendant presents evidence of his character or record pursuant to section 5(h), the State may present evidence of the murder victim's character and background and of the impact of the murder on the victim's survivors. That statute then directs the trial court to inform the jury that if the jury finds that the State has proven at least one aggravating factor beyond a reasonable doubt and the jury finds evidence of a mitigating catch-all factor, then the jury may consider the victim impact evidence presented by the State in determining the appropriate weight to give the catch-all factor. [145 N.J. at 36.] The trial court's charge in this case comported with the procedures outlined in Muhammad. The jury specifically was instructed that they could not consider the victim-impact evidence unless they found at least one of the catch-all circumstances, listed on the verdict sheet as #3 through #25. The court repeatedly spoke of "factors 3 through 25" to ensure the jury understood it was required to consider each of those factors before considering the victim-impact evidence. The instruction also made clear that jurors could not consider the victim-impact evidence in determining whether other mitigating factors existed. Because the instruction was repeated numerous times, it is improbable that the jury misconstrued their duty and used the victim-impact evidence in determining the existence, rather than the weight of the factors. The prosecutor in her summation also addressed the proper use of victim impact testimony. The prosecutor stated, [i]f you gave credit to any of the defendant's character evidence . . . we refer to that as Factor H mitigation, you are then to weigh it against whatever weight you determine is appropriate for victim impact. Although arguments of counsel can by no means serve as a substitute for instructions by the court, Taylor v. Kentucky, 436 U.S. 478, 488-89, 98 S. Ct. 1930, 1936-37, 56 L. Ed. 2d 468, 477 (1978), the prejudicial effect . . . must be evaluated 'in light of the totality of the circumstances-including all the instructions to the jury, [and] the arguments of counsel . . . .' Marshall I, supra, 123 N.J. at 145 (citations omitted). Reviewing the charge in conjunction with the prosecutor's comments in summation, defendant cannot demonstrate that the jury instruction regarding victim-impact evidence constituted plain error. The trial court clearly and properly explained the limited role the victim-impact evidence could play in the jury's deliberation. The prosecutor expounded on its appropriate use in summation. The court explained the procedure again when handing out the penalty verdict sheet. The use of the word may clearly conveyed to jurors that they were under no obligation to use the victim-impact evidence in their deliberations. State v. Martini, 131 N.J. 176, 272 (1993), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 117 S. Ct. 699, 136 L. Ed. 2d 621 (1997) (Martini I). When the court's instruction is reviewed as a whole, it is clear that the jury understood how to utilize the victim-impact evidence. Moreover, there is no evidence that jury members used victim-impact evidence incorrectly in their deliberations. In the context of the entire record, we have no doubt that the jury understood and properly applied such evidence. J. Jury Instruction on Parole Ineligibility Defendant asserts for the first time on appeal that the trial court improperly instructed the jury not to consider the fact that defendant never would be eligible for parole in determining the appropriate penalty. Defendant contends the instruction misled the jury into believing it should not consider the consequences of its sentence in determining the appropriate penalty. Therefore, he argues, the instruction violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process, his Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial, his Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, and his corresponding rights under the New Jersey Constitution. N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3b(3) mandates a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for defendants convicted of murdering a child in the course of a sexual attack. Although the provision was passed after the date of the offenses in this case, defendant waived all ex post facto challenges to the law. After discussion, the trial court and counsel agreed that the jury should be told the possible sentences defendant would face. The court relayed the information to the jury by administering the following instruction: Now, you are entitled to know the sentencing considerations under the law. This knowledge, particularly that the defendant will never be eligible for parole, should not influence your decision regarding the appropriateness of a sentence on Count 1, the knowing or purposeful murder charge. Your decision must be based only upon the aggravating and mitigating factors presented by the evidence in this penalty phase. 1. The Law Although the Nelson decision had not yet been issued at the time of defendant's trial, the trial court's instruction complied with Nelson's dictates precisely. After informing the jury of defendant's parole ineligibility, the trial court instructed jurors they could not use the information to find defendant more or less worthy of death on the capital count. Rather, the court explained, jurors should make that determination based on the weighing of the mitigating and aggravating factors. Such an instruction strikes the appropriate balance between the kind of uninformed and possibly inaccurate speculation by the jury about the alternatives to death, Ramseur, supra, 106 N.J. at 311, and the need to limit the penalty phase deliberation to considerations of the aggravating and mitigating factors. The instruction clarifies the jury's task and makes it clear that their decision is ultimately a choice between life without parole and death. See Nelson, supra, 155 N.J. at 505. We find that the trial court's instructions on what the jury should consider in reaching its sentencing decision were correct. K. Defendant's Provisional Sentence Of Life Without Parole When imposing the sentence on the purposeful murder charge, the trial court stated, "In the event the sentence of death is vacated by our Supreme Court, this Court provisionally imposes the sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole." Defendant argues that portion of the trial court's judgment should be vacated. Defendant's argument is meritless. Defendant waived any ex post facto challenge to the imposition of N.J.S.A. 2C:11 3b(3)(a)(b), which mandates an automatic sentence of life without parole for any defendant convicted of murdering a child while in the course of committing sexual assault. Because the court has no discretion regarding an alternative sentence to death for defendant, defendant was in no way prejudiced by the trial court's statement. L. Defendant Was Denied Equal Protection And Due Process When He Was Charged With A Crime Without Grand Jury Action On The Existence Or Non-Existence Of Aggravating Factors In a motion argued on June 9, 1995, defense counsel argued that the aggravating factors presented by the State in the penalty phase were elements of the capital murder crime and should have been presented to the grand jury. Failure to do so, defendant contended, violated his State and federal constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. That motion was denied on the basis of this Court's decision in Martini I, supra, 131 N.J. at 222-228, which concluded that the grand jury in death penalty prosecutions need not be given the opportunity to consider evidence going to the existence or non existence of aggravating factors. For the reasons we stated in Martini I, we reaffirm that it is not necessary to present aggravating factors to the grand jury under the New Jersey Constitution. Ibid. For the same reasons, we also find no violation of the federal Constitution. See Poland v. Arizona, 476 U.S. 147, 156, 106 S. Ct. 1749, 1755, 90 L. Ed. 2d 123, 132 (1986), (cited in Martini I, supra, 131 N.J. at 225) (finding that aggravating circumstances are not separate penalties, but are merely standards to help guide jury in deciding between life or death verdict). M. The New Jersey Death Penalty Statute Does Not Violate Customary International Law STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. JESSE TIMMENDEQUAS, Defendant-Appellant. STEIN, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part. I join in that portion of the Court's opinion that sustains defendant's capital-murder conviction. I conclude, however, that defendant's sentence should be set aside and the case remanded for a new penalty-phase trial. Under settled New Jersey law, evidence that a capital defendant had been convicted of similar offenses ordinarily would be inadmissible. If such evidence were to be admitted because it was germane to a material disputed issue in the trial, our cases mandate that the trial court instruct the jury in unmistakably clear terms about the permitted and prohibited uses of such other-crime evidence. Under our capital-punishment statute, a defendant's conviction of prior offenses, except for murder, does not constitute a statutory aggravating factor and cannot be considered by the jurors deliberating on whether defendant lives or dies. The jurors deliberating in this penalty-phase trial did not know that. Ten of those jurors, however, knew that defendant had prior convictions and nine jurors believed that he had previously been convicted of sexual offenses. Notwithstanding that knowledge, defense counsel did not request and the trial court did not deliver a clear instruction informing the jury that they were absolutely prohibited from considering defendant's prior convictions in determining whether defendant should be sentenced to death. I regard the trial court's omission of that instruction to constitute plain error that requires reversal of defendant's death sentence because the error was "clearly capable of producing an unjust result." R. 2:10-2. Because of the notoriety of defendant's crimes and the publicity that accompanied the enactment of Megan's Law, the jury's awareness of defendant's prior convictions for sex-related offenses was virtually unavoidable. The trial court had no opportunity to consider whether evidence of defendant's prior sex-related convictions was material to any issue in the case, or whether the prejudicial effect of such evidence outweighed its probative value. If that opportunity had been afforded the trial court, evidence of defendant's prior convictions unquestionably would have been excluded from the trial. Because defendant did not testify, and the only possible relevance of the prior convictions could have been as impeachment evidence, we can be certain that the trial court would have excluded evidence of defendant's convictions. However, under the unique circumstances of this capital prosecution, the jury's exposure to information about defendant's prior convictions of sex-related offenses could not be prevented. The only means available to the trial court to remediate the unavoidably prejudicial effect of the jury's knowledge about defendant's prior convictions was to instruct the jury in the clearest and strongest terms that those prior convictions could not be considered by the jury in its deliberations on defendant's guilt and sentence. The failure of the trial court to provide such a limiting instruction arises as one of plain error because trial counsel apparently did not request such an instruction, and therefore reversal is required only if the error is "clearly capable of producing an unjust result." R. 2:10-2. I conclude that the trial court's failure to instruct the jury in the guilt phase of the trial to exclude from consideration in their deliberations knowledge of defendant's prior convictions constituted harmless error. The evidence of defendant's guilt fairly can be described as overwhelming, and in that context the trial court's omission of an instruction about defendant's prior convictions was not clearly capable of producing an unjust result. In other circumstances we have concluded that deficiencies in limiting instructions about the use of other-crime evidence constituted harmless error. See Marrero, supra, 148 N.J. at 495-97; G.S., supra, 145 N.J. at 473 76; Stevens, supra, 115 N.J. at 308-09. In the penalty phase, however, the omission of an instruction to the jury prohibiting its consideration of defendant's prior convictions in determining defendant's sentence cannot be regarded as harmless error. We addressed an analogous issue in State v. Rose, 112 N.J. 454 (1988), a capital prosecution in which the State alleged as aggravating factors that defendant had murdered a police officer engaged in the performance of his duty, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(4)(h), that the murder was committed for the purpose of escaping detection for another offense, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(4)(f), and that the murder involved an aggravated battery to the victim, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(4)(c). In the Rose penalty phase, after the jury convicted defendant of knowing or purposeful murder by his own conduct, defendant called expert witnesses to testify about the defendant's mental and emotional condition at the time of the homicide, and character witnesses to offer mitigating testimony concerning defendant's good character. On cross-examination of both the expert and character witnesses, the prosecutor questioned the witnesses in detail about prior "bad acts" of defendant, including questions about instances in which he allegedly had assaulted former girl friends, instances of threatened violence against black youths, and instances of disciplinary infractions in high school, in the army and in prison. We took note of the inflammatory nature of that cross-examination and cautioned trial courts that because of the strong possibility of prejudice to the defendant, close supervision of such cross-examination was essential. Id. at 504 05. However, we held that the trial court's failure to instruct the penalty-phase jury on the limited relevance of the prior-bad act evidence elicited by the prosector during cross-examination required reversal of defendant's death sentence. We explained in detail the reasons for our conclusion: We need not resolve the question whether defense counsel made sufficiently clear their request for a limiting instruction concerning this testimony, although it is self-evident that on an issue of such critical importance there should be no cause for understatement or ambiguity. We hold, in view of the repetitive and highly inflammatory quality of the evidence of defendant's past misconduct that came before the jury in the penalty phase, both derivatively through the guilt phase and in the cross-examination of defendant's penalty phase witnesses, that the trial court's failure to instruct the jury on the limited relevance of this evidence was so clearly prejudicial that it requires defendant's death sentence to be set aside. We have already reviewed in detail the evidence of defendant's past conduct to which the jury was exposed in both the guilt and penalty phases of the case. During the guilt phase the jury heard evidence of defendant's apparent racially-tinged motivation for purchasing the sawed-off shotgun as well as evidence of defendant's defiant possession and threats to use the shotgun during the schoolyard incident. Supra at 473, 483-87. On the prosecutor's motion, this evidence was before the jury in the penalty phase. Through cross-examination of defendant's expert witnesses in the penalty phase, the jury heard evidence (or references by the prosecutor) concerning past misconduct by defendant in high school, in the army, and in jail. Supra at 496. In addition, the jury heard extensive testimony and provocative references by the prosecutor to defendant's acts of physical violence toward his former girlfriends. Supra at 492-94; 497-98. The expert witnesses were also interrogated about the schoolyard incident and defendant's reason for buying the shotgun. Supra at 491, 494-96, 498. Virtually every character witness, other than defendant's relatives, was questioned aggressively by the prosecutor about defendant's tendency to "beat up" women. In addition, the cross-examination of some character witnesses included references to defendant's prior misuse of the shotgun. All of this evidence of defendant's past conduct, to the extent it was admissible at all, was admissible only for a limited purpose. In the guilt phase, evidence of the schoolyard incident was admissible under Evidence Rule 55 to prove absence of mistake or accident; if admissible at all, evidence of defendant's reason for buying the shotgun was admissible for the same purpose. Supra at 485-490. In the penalty phase, evidence of defendant's past conduct was relevant to test the credibility and the conclusions of the expert witnesses, and in the case of the character witnesses was material to rebut their testimony to demonstrate defendant's good character as a mitigating factor. The jury was never told about the limited relevance of any of this testimony. . . . When evidence is admissible for one purpose, but not for another, a limiting instruction is the appropriate device through which to restrict the jury's use of such evidence. In the penalty phase of a capital case, the function of the jury has been sharply defined by the Legislature. The jury must determine if the State has proved beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of any aggravating factors, and if the defendant has proved the existence of any mitigating factors. The jury must then weigh only the aggravating factors against only the mitigating factors. N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3c(3). The jury is not permitted, in its weighing process, to add other evidence of defendant's past conduct to the weight it assigns to the aggravating factors, nor to consider other evidence of defendant's past conduct, except to the extent offered to rebut mitigating factors, as detracting from the weight it assigns to the mitigating factors. In this case, however, the jury was totally unguided concerning the uses to which it could put the abundant evidence of defendant's past conduct that was adduced at trial. We therefore have no confidence that the jury did not consider such evidence improperly in the course of its weighing process. We concede that there is no way to assure that a jury adheres scrupulously to the mandate of a limiting instruction. But in a death penalty context, and in the face of such abundant and inflammatory evidence of defendant's past conduct, the necessity for a careful and precise limiting instruction to this jury was clear and compelling. Its omission from the charge was prejudicial beyond a reasonable doubt and compels the reversal of defendant's death sentence. [Id. at 505-508 (citations omitted) (footnote omitted).] In Rose, supra, the jury heard evidence not of prior convictions but of prior bad acts by the defendant, and this Court concluded that reversal of the death penalty was necessary because the jury was uninstructed about the relevance of that evidence to its penalty-phase deliberations. In this case the penalty-phase jury was informed about prior convictions for offenses similar to the instant offenses, but was not instructed that those convictions could not be considered in determining defendant's sentence. The question whether a defendant's prior convictions can be considered in the sentencing phase of a death-penalty prosecution is a matter of legislative determination. See Barclay v. Florida, 463 U.S. 939, 956, 103 S. Ct. 3418, 3428, 77 L. Ed. 1134, 1148 (1983) ("The trial judge's consideration of Barclay's criminal record as an aggravating circumstance was improper as a a matter of state law."); Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862, 887, 103 S. Ct. 2733, 2747, 77 L. Ed. 2d 235, 256 (1983) ("Thus, any evidence on which the jury might have relied in this case to find that respondent had previously been convicted of as a substantial number of serious assaultive offenses . . . was properly adduced at the sentencing hearing."). The United States Supreme Court has held that no constitutional violation occurs if a state permits consideration of non-statutory aggravating factors in the penalty phase of a capital case. Id. at 878-79, 103 S. Ct. at 2733, 77 L. Ed. 2d at 251. Our Legislature, consistent with the recognition that reliance only on statutory aggravating factors diminishes the unpredictability of capital punishment, has restricted jury consideration in the penalty phase to a weighing of the statutory aggravating and mitigating factors. This penalty-phase jury, although instructed to weigh only statutory aggravating and mitigating factors, was informed of defendant's prior sexual assault convictions but was never instructed that the significance of those prior convictions was not a permissible factor for consideration in the penalty-phase deliberations. In my view, that omission mandates reversal of defendant's death sentence and a remand for retrial of the penalty phase. Justice Handler joins in this dissent. STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. JESSE TIMMENDEQUAS, Defendant-Appellant. KING, P.J.A.D. (t/a), dissenting in part and concurring in part. For the reasons given by Justice Handler in IV (page 62 to 95) of his dissenting opinion, I agree that prosecutorial misconduct tainted the trial proceeding insofar as the death sentence is concerned. Since the evidence of guilt was so overwhelming I do not think that such misconduct had the capacity to taint the guilt finding. I would remand for a new penalty phase trial only. In all other respects I join the majority opinion insofar as it affirms the guilty verdict. SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY A- 172 September Term 1997 STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. JESSE TIMMENDEQUAS, Defendant-Appellant. HANDLER, J., dissenting. That contention is supported by the ABA guidelines, which explicitly incorporate the Sixth Amendment right to a fair and impartial jury into the fourth factor. See ABA Standards, supra ("The racial, ethnic, religious and other relevant demographic characteristics of the proposed venue, insofar as they may affect the likelihood of a fair trial by an impartial jury.") (emphasis added). The majority contends that because the case at bar presents no overt racial issues given that both the victim and defendant are of the same race, the right to a jury that represents a cross-section of defendant's community need not be paramount. See ante at __ (slip op. at 46-48). Although the Court fully understands, and has held, that special attention must be paid to ensuring a racially representative jury in cases that present obvious racial issues, we have never recognized, and do not believe, that considerations of race may be discounted or ignored in effectuating a criminal defendant's right to a cross-section that is representative of the community in foreign jury or change of venue decisions, no matter what the race of the defendant and the victim. The community cross-section requirement is required as much to preserve representation of the community's diverse values, beliefs, and viewpoints as to respond to particular racial issues in the specific case. The constitutional right to a representative cross-section, which goes to the essence of a fair trial, therefore remains unyielding with regard to race even in the absence of a disparity in race between the victim and defendant. In Harris, supra, the Appellate Division held that the disparity in racial demographics between Hunterdon and Mercer Counties was too great to guarantee a fair trial. 282 N.J. Super. at 420. The Harris court stated that the rights of the defendant, as well as the public's perception that the judicial system operated fairly, especially for those members of minority groups who are underrepresented in the jury pool," were at stake in choosing a jury that adequately represented the community. Id. at 418 (referring to Georgia v. McCollum, 505 U.S. 42, 49, 112 S. Ct. 2348, 2354, 120 L. Ed. 2d 33, 45 (1992)). [I]f a demographically similar community is chosen as the new venue, local values might be approximated, thereby preserving both the right to a fair trial and the key interests served by local community participation. Moreover, the reasons that favor local community participation in the jury also favor ensuring minority participation in the jury. . . . [Id. at 419 (quoting Note, Out of the Frying Pan or Into the Fire? Race and Choice of Venue After Rodney King, 106 Harv. L. Rev. 705, 715-16 (1993)).] The court went on to offer other, preferable locations, one of which was Camden. The court noted: The 1990 census indicates that there is a gross disparity between the racial demographics of Mercer and Hunterdon counties, with blacks comprising only 2.06" of the residents of Hunterdon compared to 18.87" of the residents of Mercer. At the same time, there are a number of other counties that are approximately the same distance from Mercer as Hunterdon that have much larger black populations: in Middlesex, 7.98" of the residents are black; in Monmouth, 8.54%; in Burlington, 14.31%; in Camden, 16.24%.See footnote 1818 In this case, a jury from Camden would have preserved defendant's right to a fair cross-section of the community without compromising a majority of the other Harris factors for selecting a county for a foreign jury empanelment. Reversing its initial assessment of the appropriateness of empaneling a jury from Camden, the trial court plainly prized administrative convenience over defendant's right to a fair trial. That result is not supportable. The Court asserts "there is no assurance that the composition of the jury pool would have been radically different in Camden County." Ante at __ (slip op. at 47). That contention is, however, only speculative rationalization. The pool of 715 prospective jurors contained fifteen minorities -- five African Americans, six Asians, one Hispanic, and three East Indians. That two percent minority representation does not begin to approach the minority representation in Mercer County (twenty five percent), and is not surprising given the small minority population in Hunterdon County (less than six percent). If the trial court had selected a jury pool from Camden instead of Hunterdon, the level of minority representation in the jury pool would have increased to a level commensurate with what the representation would have been in a pool from Mercer County; if it had not, defendant would have had a valid cross-section claim to make based on Camden's jury selection system. See Taylor v. Louisiana, 419 U.S. 522, 538, 95 S. Ct. 692, 702, 42 L. Ed. 2d 690, 703 (1975) ("[J]ury checks, pools of names, panels or venues from which juries are drawn must not [be designed to] systematically exclude distinctive groups in the community and thereby fail to be reasonably representative thereof."). Given the relatively small percentage of overall minority representation in the disputed counties, that potential increase (almost twenty percent) cannot be glossed over as insignificant. Finally, the Court's conclusion that [t]here is no evidence that the racial composition of the jury venire affected the jury's ability to be impartial," ante at __ (slip op. at 46) is not relevant to our assessment. A Sixth Amendment claim regarding a violation of the fair cross-section requirement is not subject to a harmless error analysis. Violation of this constitutional right requires reversal. In State v. Bey, 112 N.J. 45 (1988) (Bey II), the Court examined the standard of review for constitutional violations in death penalty cases: [I]n assessing the impact of error in either the guilt or penalty phase of a capital case, we . . . determine reversibility on the basis of a qualitative determination that considers, in the context of the entire case, whether the error was clearly capable of affecting either the verdict or the sentence. The only exception involves "constitutional violations . . . [that] by their very nature cast so much doubt on the fairness of the trial process that, as a matter of law, they can never be considered harmless." [Bey II, supra, 112 N.J. at 94-95 (quoting Satterwhite v. Texas, 486 U.S. 249, 108 S. Ct. 1792, 1795, 100 L. Ed. 2d 284, 293 (1988).] The United States Supreme Court in Satterwhite, supra, held that Sixth Amendment constitutional violations that may be considered under a harmless error analysis and those that require automatic reversal are distinguished by whether or not the violation pervade[s] the entire proceeding. 486 U.S. at 256, 108 S. Ct. at 1797, 100 L. Ed. 2d at 293; see also Coleman v. Kemp, 778 F.2d 1487, 1541, n.24 (11th Cir. 1985). The failure to fulfill the Sixth Amendment right to a jury empaneled from a cross-section of the community can never be considered harmless.See footnote 1919 We held in Gilmore, supra, that our Constitution provides for a right to trial by an impartial jury drawn from a representative cross section of the community," 103 N.J. at 523, due to our profound commitment to achieving 'overall impartiality by allowing the interaction of diverse beliefs and values the jurors bring from their group experiences,'" id. at 525 (quoting Wheeler, supra, 583 P. 2d at 761). Under the New Jersey Constitution, the right to a trial by an impartial jury drawn from representative cross-section of the community is of exceptional significance and goes to the very essence of a fair trial. State v. Williams, 93 N.J. 39, 60 (1983). Its infraction may not be treated as harmless error. That holding is supported by the decision in Harris, supra, in which the Court found that the demographics factor of the ABA guidelines did not require reversal because the racial demographics of Burlington and Mercer Counties were substantially similar. 156 N.J. at 150. The issue relevant to reversal, then, is the objective lack of similarity between the demographics of the two counties, rather than the actual evidence that the error in selecting a county affected the impartiality of the jury. The racial demographics of Hunterdon and Mercer Counties are simply not substantially similar, as the court in this case, initially, recognized. The Court contends [t]he record reveals that the trial court took more than adequate measures to 'minimize the danger that prejudice would infiltrate the jury process.' See ante at __ (slip op. at 51) (citation omitted). The diverse beliefs and views of the Mercer County community, in which this trial would have been held if not for the press coverage, however, were not represented. The amount of evidence leveled against defendant, see id. at __ (slip op. at 47) (noting that "[g]iven the overwhelming evidence against defendant, it is highly doubtful that a jury from Camden would have reached a different verdict or sentence"), is irrelevant.See footnote 2020 One cannot minimize the prejudice that inheres in the failure to provide defendant with a jury pool representing the diverse viewpoints of the community in which he should have been tried. Defendant's constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury was violated. Therefore, his conviction must be reversed. See Gilmore, supra, 103 N.J. at 544 (reversing and remanding for new trial because of cross-section violation). Although many of the jurors selected here did not express knowledge of the details of Megan's Law or defendant's case when questioned in voir dire, they all knew about the Law. The jurors heard about it on the news, discussed it with friends, or read about it in papers. That, when combined with the inevitable suspicion or belief that defendant previously had been convicted as a sex offender, required a more in-depth and forceful voir dire than was administered by the trial court. Illustrative questioning regarding Megan's Law by the trial court is included in the voir dire of juror S.D., viz: Q: Megan's Law is talked about in this, and you have -- you indicate you've heard of Megan's Law. Your understanding again is what, your words? A: Notification can be given to people if a sex offender moves into the neighborhood or is in their neighborhood. Q: Do you have any opinions about it? A: I agree with it. Q: Are you aware of the origins of Megan's Law, how it came to be? A: I had always thought it was as a result of Megan Kanka, what happened to her and, basically, you know, what's going on here. Q: And do you believe the defendant has any connection with all of that, therefore? He scooped up Megan's body, put it in the toy box and dumped her in the weeds. What did he do next? He went to a WAWA. You have heard statement after statement that he gave regarding his actions. You have heard words out of his mouth about his activities. Did you hear one word about reflection, concern, introspection about what he had done to Megan? He had just committed some of the most heinous acts a human being can commit. Did you hear in those statements one word of remorse? He dumped her body, and his only concern was to get to a WAWA to get cigarettes and a newspaper. After the WAWA, he proceeded home. He crossed the street, and that's where he encountered Maureen Kanka. He had just dumped her daughter. Maureen is out, distraught, looking for her missing little girl. The defendant was able to stand there, looked that mother in the eye [sic], and not flinch. Detective Pukenas hoped against hope that Megan might still be alive, but the defendant knew better. And indeed, she was dead. A little blue shirt was all that she wore, on her side, plastic bags over her head, her body covered with insects. It was a sight so tragic and perverse that every person who saw it will be haunted forever. And we will be haunted as well. Just the photograph of her body outlined in the weeds was so deeply disturbing for each and every one of you, because this wasn't TV, this wasn't a movie. This wasn't an actress who would get up when the scene was done. This had been a real live, breathing child. And this was a real death at his hands. The prosecutor's provocative recreation of the crime was also graphic and extreme: Dr. Ahmad told that you [sic] with all the variables, she couldn't say how long until Megan became unconscious. It could have been two minutes, three minutes, longer, shorter. But the defendant himself, in his statement, said that the struggle in the door with the belt around her neck lasted five minutes. Five minutes, Megan, in pain, in terror, the belt being wrapped around her neck. You can almost hear her gasping for air. We will never know how long her conscious terror persisted. We will know -- we will never know how long it took until darkness overtook her. We will only know that the last face she saw on this earth was the face of the man committed to her destruction. However long it was, it was an eternity for Megan. We may not know the exact sequence of events, but we do know that whatever the sequence, it was so repulsive, so disturbing, so unsettling, so horrific, that it permeates to your very soul. You have seen the pictures of the bags over Megan's head. In your worst nightmares, did you ever think you would see such evidence of callousness? In your darkest moments, did you ever dream you would see such inhumanity? Is there any adult alive on the face of the planet who doesn't know the effect of putting plastic bags over someone's head? Could his intent have been any more crystalline? Could there be any question what he was intending? And then, the prosecutor offered this finale, after which defendant objected: Members of the jury, sexual violation in the park. Is there any image more despicable? Is there any act more depraved than that one? After all that he had done to that child, and he had to violate her one more time. He didn't rip the bags off her head to try to save her. He stuck his finger in her vagina. Can there by any question of his intent? He dumps her, and then he drives off. This was a man who wanted to kill, intended to kill, meant to kill, chose to kill, and did kill purposely or knowingly by his own conduct. It is hard for most of us, as human beings, to understand the unmitigated evil that this case represented. It is hard for most of us, as human beings, to understand that any adult could intentionally kill a child. It would have been beyond reprehensible if he had just committed the sexual acts and let her live. But if he had done that, she would have been damaged, she would have been hurt, but she would have been alive. But she [sic] chose not to do that. He chose to take the gigantic step that raised these acts from the horrific to the catastrophic. It is the brutality, the senselessness, the cold, calculating nature of these acts that is so appalling, and so clearly tells you his intent. This was not just a man who killed. This was a man who killed without a shred of emotion. A man who killed without a scintilla of concern. You heard his statements over the course of two days. Did you ever once hear in any of those statements that it was an accident? Did you ever once hear him say in any of those statements, I didn't mean this to happen? Did you ever once hear him say in any of those statements, I would do anything if I could change the results? You didn't, because he didn't ever say anything like that. In those statements, did you once, even once, hear him mention anything about Megan or concern for what she had suffered? Megan would never laugh and never smile again, and he blamed her for the wound on his hand. Megan was on a morgue table, and he wanted a band-aid. Members of the jury, there are images from this case that will live with all of us. All of us who have seen and heard things in this case, these images will live with us forever. Some of them come from the descriptions that you have just heard from the testimony, acts so perverse, so offensive, that they shock our collective conscience. Other images will come to you from normal every day [sic] things that suddenly have become sinister, different. The belt. Something most of you men wear every day. You will never be able to look at a belt again and think of it only as a piece of wearing apparel. You will now forever see it as an instrument of destruction, something capable of being wrapped around a child's neck, something capable of making grooves in a child's neck, being used as a leash, something used to destroy, to choke, to strangle, to annihilate. A toy box. Before this trial, I am sure that the image of a toy box was something that brought great joy. It conjured up childhood happiness, laughter, all of the treasures that would be found inside. You will never again be able to look at a toy box and think of childhood treasures. Instead, you will see in your mind's eye Megan. It is no longer a toy box. It was a coffin. Megan's crumpled, battered body inside. Will that image ever fade? I don't think so. A park. Before this case, you would think of a park as a place that was bucolic, idyllic, peaceful. A place where families would go to enjoy life, where children could run and play. Now, it will invoke images of death. It was a place where the defendant chose to dump Megan's body, a place now defiled by his despicable acts. Megan, cast aside like so much garbage. Plastic bags. Something most of us see or use every day. Will you ever be able to look at a plastic bag again and not think of the ultimate horror? You have seen the pictures of Megan's head encased in those particular bags put on by the defendant. Those bags, ties tightly around her neck, each bag guaranteeing that death would follow. Each bag a declaration by the defendant that he wanted her dead. A child playing with a dog. Is there any image that does more to evoke childhood than that one? It brings to mind all that childhood is, innocence, happiness, laughter, trust -- Q: What attracted you towards Megan? Defendant did not object to these statements at trial, but now contends that they laid the foundation for the prejudicial themes of defendant's lack of emotion and sexual perversion. The State continued its assault on defendant's lack of emotion during the examination of several witnesses. The lead prosecutor asked Detective Pukenas about defendant's demeanor in the police car as defendant recounted the murder to the accompanying officers: Q: Detective, let me ask you, on the way back in the car, as he's giving this narrative of what happened, what was his tone of voice? A: It remained a normal tone of voice. He was telling us what happened. He was very cooperative. Nothing really had changed in his demeanor of his tone of voice. Q: Was there any point in time in the telling of this story that he got emotional? MR. GREENMAN: Objection, Judge. THE COURT: Objection overruled. Q: Was there any point in time in the telling of this version where his voice cracked? A: No. Q: Or wavered? A: Never. Q: Did you ever see him shed a tear? A: Never once. Q: On the way back, in the car, did he at any time indicate any concern about Megan? A: Not at all. I think he was the only one not crying. Defendant objected again and the court sustained the objection. The court then gave a limiting instruction to the jurors, telling them to disregard the last statement regarding defendant's emotional state. Ignoring the court's warning, the prosecutor continued in the same vein: Q: Detective, did he ever in the car on the way back say that it was an accident? A: He never said that. Q: Did he ever say that he didn't mean to kill her? A: He never indicated that at all. Q: Did he ever say he was sorry that he killed her? Q: Did he ever say any words whatsoever that indicated remorse? A: Nothing like that at all. Pukenas also testified that defendant maintained the same control in the interview room during his written confession, and stated on redirect that during interrogation, defendant was "talking a little bit more than he had prior to that . . . [b]ut not in any tone of voice that would indicate remorse. Again, counsel objected and the objection was sustained. The court told the jury to disregard the witness's conclusory statement about defendant's remorse. On direct examination of Sergeant O'Dwyer, the prosecutor continued impermissible inquiry into defendant's emotional state at the time of his first statement to the police: Q: During the giving of this statement by the defendant, did his tone of voice ever change? A: No, ma'am. Q: Was there any point in time when he gave this statement that his voice cracked with emotion? A: No, ma'am, never. Q: Was there any point in time during the giving of this statement that there was a catch in his voice as if to indicate an emotional reaction? A: No, ma'am, none. Q: At any point in time did he have to stop to collect his thoughts? MR. GREENMAN: Objection, Judge. THE COURT: The objection is sustained. Q: Was there any point in time when he cried during this statement? A: No, ma'am. Q: At any point in time, did he ever say he regretted what he did to Megan? A: No, never. Q: And Detective, when you asked him how he felt, and his response was, I am trying not to cry - remember that question and answer? A: Yes, I do, ma'am. Q: Do you know if he was trying not to cry because he had killed Megan, or because he had been caught? MR. GREENMAN: Objection, your Honor. THE COURT: Objection sustained. Please disregard that, ladies and gentlemen. Ms. Flicker, there was no reason for that question whatsoever. Q: Do you know why he responded as he did? MR. GREENMAN: Objection, your Honor. An interpretation by this witness, I object to. That's up to the jury to decide. THE COURT: Only if something further was said. There was some inquiry. So it's overruled to that extent. If there was something further said. Q: Was there anything further said? A: No, ma'am. The prosecutor then asked Detective O'Dwyer to read defendant's statement to the jury. In doing so, the witness broke down in tears and the court allowed him to take a break. Several of the other testifying officers also rendered emotional testimony. Defense counsel objected to O'Dwyer's reading of the statement, claiming that the emotional delivery was a farce. The trial court allowed the testimony, nevertheless. Sergeant Charles Stanley testified regarding his interrogation of defendant immediately following Dr. Askin's examination of defendant's hand wound. The prosecution asked Stanley the following questions: Q: Now, did something else happen at the beginning of your interview with the defendant? A: Yes. After Dr. Askin's examination of the defendant, and the defendant's hand was apparently, had been manipulated for the purpose of taking photographs, and that he was complaining that the wound was bothering him, and he also mentioned -- he was also blaming Megan for inflicting that wound upon him. A: No, he didn't. Q: Did he ever say that he was sorry? A: No. Q: Did he ever show any emotion? A: The only emotion that he ever displayed when, was when he was being a little upset about his hand wound, and he was upset about [sic] Megan had inflicted that wound upon him. But even that was -- he wasn't grievously upset about it, but he was complaining about it. Q: Did you see him physically demonstrate any type of emotion when he talked about it -- when he gave the statement? A: No. Defense counsel objected and the objection was sustained. GREENMAN: [M]y belief is that the jurors, rather than going through 450 pages, whatever, are looking for the summarization, which Carol's report in fact is. And Carol's report refers to specific exhibits as she goes along, describing various things, but it's a summarization of what's in all those documents. Following a response by the State comparing the Report to inadmissible police reports, and objecting to the fact that the State only had one week to put together any countervailing report, the court rendered its decision: I'm not going to allow the Krych report in. I think all the evidence they have is in. I think it would be improper to put it in at this point. We've had discussion on that before. It is similar to a police report. I think it would have undue influence if it were in before the jury. Q: Would you answer my question? GREENMAN: Judge, objection. I think she's trying to answer the question. A: I don't exactly know -- If the person who prepared the Report was unable to recall the contents of the documents on which it was based, the process of sifting through 450 pages to find indications of mitigating factors undoubtedly only would have added to the jury's difficulty and/or confusion in determining the existence of mitigating factors. When the trial court is unsure of the nature of a jury's request during deliberations, the court should "bring the jury into the courtroom in order to resolve [the] uncertainty." State v. Brown, 275 N.J. Super. 329 (App. Div. 1994); see State v. Graham, 285 N.J. Super., 337, 342 (App. Div. 1995) ("[W]hen the jury's question is ambiguous, the judge is obliged to clear the confusion by asking the jury the meaning of its request . . . The trial judge should not have assumed the jury's meaning."). In Graham, supra, the jury submitted a note to the court stating simply, "Police Report. Grand Jury Report." 285 N.J. at 341. The trial judge, without discussing with counsel the meaning of the request, told the jurors they could not have the reports because they had not been admitted into evidence. The court noted counsel's objections. Ibid. The Appellate Division, upon review, held that the trial court would have been justified in withholding the reports if they were indeed what the jury was requesting, because they were inadmissible. The court stated, however, that it was nonetheless important for the trial court to get clarification from the jury. Id. at 341-42. If the jurors, for instance, had wanted parts of the testimony regarding the reports read back to them, the trial court would have been obliged to do this for them. Id. at 342. The court's comment that in its judgment the jury is "well equipped" to deal with the lengthy testimony of Ms. Krych contradicts those principles. The documents from which the jury was to make its findings on mitigating factors were 450 pages in length. The jurors' request most likely indicated their desire to avoid having to sift through every document one-by-one in order to refresh their memories on Ms. Krych's conclusions regarding defendant's childhood. The trial court was obliged, at the very least, to get clarification. Even without the jury's request, however, the Report should have been admitted. The trial court's comparison of the Report to a police report offered by the State, which is usually not admitted into evidence because it is considered hearsay, is completely insupportable. The Rules of Evidence do not apply to a defendant submitting mitigating evidence in the penalty phrase. See N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3(c)(2)(b) (allowing defendant to admit mitigating evidence without regard to the rules of evidence, while State is required to abide by these rules). In addition, the court's contention that the Report was cumulative and would only have confused the jury is unsupported by the record. To the contrary, the Report provided a basis for the conclusion of testifying witness Dr. Podboy and would clearly have helped to clarify the facts for the jury, rather than to confuse. This Court's holdings on admission of mitigating evidence dictate a finding that the trial court erred in refusing to admit the Krych Report. Juror P. also indicated that treatment would be important when someone is identified at a young age as experiencing abuse in his childhood: A: Um-hum. I think that probably if he was abused and he was committing an act when he was young, and he didn't get help, of course, usually, he would continue doing this, and whether he was a child or adult, I mean the act itself, no matter what age, I guess is not -- is very bad. When questioned by the prosecutor on voir dire, Juror R. responded: Q: What do you think about individuals like pedophiles - and you mentioned something about the value of getting counseling [sic]. Do you think that's important for individuals who may have that, some sort of sickness or antisocial behavior, and are aware of it and know of it, do you think there is a value of trying to get self-help for such behavior? A: I always think there's value in that, uh-huh. These comments highlight the value that some of the jurors placed on counseling and indicate that they might have regarded the fact that defendant did not receive such counseling as mitigating. If the jurors were seeking the Report in order to help in their determination of the existence of Factor 24 and were simply unable to find the evidence they sought in the tome of documents they had to sort through, there is compelling evidence that this oversight by the court contributed to the jury's sentence for defendant. Factor 24 is compelling enough evidence of mitigation that if found by the jury, it may have weighed heavily against the aggravating factors favoring a death verdict in this case. Evidence that those responsible for defendant's psychological well-being at a young age failed to take the necessary steps to explore signs of emotional problems might be extremely compelling during the phase of the trial in which jurors are exploring what level of responsibility to attribute to a defendant for his or her crime: Indeed, it is precisely because the punishment should be directly related to the personal culpability of the defendant that the jury must be allowed to consider and give effect to mitigating evidence relevant to a defendant's character or record or the circumstances of the offense. Rather than creating the risk of an unguided emotional response, full consideration of evidence that mitigates against the death penalty is essential if the jury is to give a "'reasoned moral response to the defendant's background, character, and crime.'" [Penry v. Lynaugh, 492 U.S. 302, 327-28, 109 S. Ct. 2934, 2951, 106 L. Ed. 2d 256, 284 (1989) (quoting Franklin v. Lynaugh, 487 U.S. 164, 184, 108 S. Ct. 2320, 2333, 101 L. Ed. 2d 155 (1988) (internal citation omitted) (O'Connor, J., concurring)).] The trial court should, without question, have submitted Ms. Krych's report to the jury. When an error is of constitutional dimensions, the Court must be convinced "'beyond a reasonable doubt that the error complained of did not contribute to the verdict obtained.'" Satterwhite, supra, 486 U.S. at 258-59, 108 S. Ct. at 1798, 100 L. Ed. 2d at 295 (reversing defendant's death sentence because of Sixth Amendment violation in penalty phase) (quoting Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S. Ct. 824, 827, 17 L. Ed. 2d 705, 710 (1967)); see also Bey IV, supra, 112 N.J. at 114-15 (Handler, J., concurring). We cannot know, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the court's failure to submit the Report to the jury did not affect defendant's sentence. Accordingly, defendant's death sentence must be vacated. NO. A-172 STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. JESSE TIMMENDEQUAS, Defendant-Appellant. DECIDED August 11, 1999 Justice Handler PRESIDING OPINION BY A statement which was at the time of its making so far contrary to the declarant's pecuniary, proprietary, or social interest, or so far tended to subject declarant to civil or criminal liability, or to render invalid declarant's claim against another, that a reasonable person in declarant's position would not have made the statement unless the person believed it to be true. As jurors, you should decide this case in the same way that all reasonable persons approach any problem or any question. You should consider the evidence presented to you and, applying your knowledge and your life's experience, you should fairly and reasonably evaluate the evidence in light of your knowledge of how people behave, keeping in mind that it is the quality of the evidence presented, not the quantity or number of witnesses that controls. Q: Okay. I think you have changed your opinion about the death penalty because you feel that some people are not capable of being rehabilitated? A: Right. Q: Okay. What -- when you look at a situation or a person, what, what gives you the opinion that this person is not capable of being rehabilitated and that person is capable of being rehabilitated? A: If I, if I looked at, you know, a serial killer, I mean, where is this guy going, man? I mean, I really believe there's no hope for someone like that. Q: Okay. A: I think he's real, just beyond hope situation. That discussion underscores the juror's tendency to condemn someone who has offended repeatedly. When viewed in light of the fact that defense counsel later alerted the Court that the juror appeared to be sleeping or dozing during the penalty phase while defense witness Carol Krych was testifying about defendant's social history, this concern carries added weight: Had Juror A.C. already written off defendant as someone for whom there was no hope of rehabilitation by the time the penalty trial began? Let me tell you something I have a bigger problem with, and that's four times now you've asked questions that resulted in the responses, with the removal of the lower jaw. I asked you very specifically, was it relevant as to where the lower jaw was used for making the impressions. You said it was. It wasn't. I think that's inflammatory stuff. I've looked at the reaction of these jurors every time you've done it. Then on the fourth time, again, you said, that the lower jaw was removed, and the upper jaw was in the mouth, and you asked a question. There was absolutely, positively no reason to repeat that. I'm going to warn you, Mr. Korngut, be very careful in terms of your examination in this kind of area. If it's probative, if it's relevant, that's one thing. I don't think it is.