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Habeeb Robinson was convicted in June of aggravated manslaughter, weapons possession and witness tampering in the death of Hassan Cobb-Jones, a 32-year-old Newark resident, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens, II said. He was sentenced to 50 years for the homicide and 18 years for witness tampering, Stephens said.
Cobb-Jones was shot in a van on the 100 block of Parker Street, Stephens said.
Robinson's case was more complicated, as it was happening at the turn of major changes under New Jersey's bail reform system, including evidence rules.
In 2017, NJ Advance Media reported that the Supreme Court had held up a lower court decision 5-2 maintaining prosecutors provide witness statements and other evidence in Robinson's case. Defense attorneys argued that key evidence was being withheld by authorities, the outlet said.
While prosecutors wrote that they had key two eyewitnesses who picked out Robinson's mugshot from a line, and maintained they had surveillance, public attorneys requested concrete proof: Surveillance tapes and witness statements, NJ Advance said at the time.
When Robinson finally stood trial in 2019, the jury failed to reach a verdict, Stephens said in announcing Robinson's conviction.
Robinson had eight prior felony convictions, including a 2010 conviction for robbery and weapons possession for which he was on parole at the time of this homicide in 2016.
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