SYLLABUS

(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).

State v. Frensel Gaitan (A-109) (067613)

State v. Rohan Goulbourne (A-129) (068039)

Argued November 9, 2011 -- Decided February 28, 2012

Lavecchia, J., writing for a majority of the Court.

In these appeals, the Court considers whether Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. ___, 130 S. Ct. 1473 (2010), is entitled to retroactive application on collateral review; and whether the defense attorneys were ineffective under State v. Nuñez-Valdéz, 200 N.J. 129 (2009).