context: We recognize that the judge instructed the jury on law and gave an appropriate instruction directing that what he said about the law was controlling. In addition, the judge directed the jurors to rely on their recollection of the evidence, not the summations of counsel. But the sheer quantity and variety of highly prejudicial remarks, visual displays and a courtroom antic, give us reason to have serious doubt about the jurors' capacity to follow those instructions.
citation_a.signal: but cf.
citation_a.identifier: 96 N.J. 640, 649
citation_a.parenthetical: noting that "[t]he record lends no support to the suggestion that the jurors were unable to comply with the court's instruction"
citation_a.sentence: See State v. Manley, 54 N.J. 259, 270, 255 A.2d 193 (1969) (discussing courts’ need to rely on jurors’ capacity to follow instructions); but cf. State v. Winter, 96 N.J. 640, 649, 477 A.2d 323 (1984) (noting that “[t]he record lends no support to the suggestion that the jurors were unable to comply with the court’s instruction”); State v. Catlow, 206 N.J.Super. 186, 193, 502 A.2d 48 (App.Div.1985) (noting that the record revealed “no reason to believe that the jury was unable to follow the court’s sharp and complete curative instruction”), certif. denied, 103 N.J. 465, 511 A.2d 648 (1986) (quoted in Vallejo, supra, 198 N.J. at 135, 965 A.2d 1181).
citation_b.signal: see
citation_b.identifier: 54 N.J. 259, 270
citation_b.parenthetical: discussing courts' need to rely on jurors' capacity to follow instructions
citation_b.sentence: See State v. Manley, 54 N.J. 259, 270, 255 A.2d 193 (1969) (discussing courts’ need to rely on jurors’ capacity to follow instructions); but cf. State v. Winter, 96 N.J. 640, 649, 477 A.2d 323 (1984) (noting that “[t]he record lends no support to the suggestion that the jurors were unable to comply with the court’s instruction”); State v. Catlow, 206 N.J.Super. 186, 193, 502 A.2d 48 (App.Div.1985) (noting that the record revealed “no reason to believe that the jury was unable to follow the court’s sharp and complete curative instruction”), certif. denied, 103 N.J. 465, 511 A.2d 648 (1986) (quoted in Vallejo, supra, 198 N.J. at 135, 965 A.2d 1181).