The Supreme Court announced that it has granted certification in State v. Arrington.  The question presented, as phrased by the Supreme Court Clerk’s office, is “Can a criminal defendant advance an insanity defense under N.J.S.A. 2C:4-1 without expert testimony?” 

The Law Division held that defendant could not testify at trial about his own allegedly insane mental state without accompanying expert testimony from a qualified mental health professional.  A three-judge panel of the Appellate Division affirmed that result in an unpublished opinion.