STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. MANUEL WISPE, JR. (87-02-0224, HUDSON COUNTY AND STATEWIDE), A-4608-14T2

Manuel Wispe, Jr. was convicted in 1995 of murder and weapons offenses and sentenced to life imprisonment with a thirty-year parole disqualifier.
Wispe’s conviction and sentence were affirmed on direct appeal; two post-conviction relief petitions were denied.
In 2014 Wispe filed a motion to reduce his sentence, arguing significant post‑sentence rehabilitation.
The Law Division judge denied the motion, concluding there was no legal basis to revisit the sentence after unsuccessful direct appeal and PCRs.
The judge rejected Wispe’s reliance on juvenile‑rehabilitation cases because Wispe was an adult when the offenses occurred and found the life sentence with the parole disqualifier consistent with law.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether defendant's post‑sentence rehabilitation warrants reduction of a final sentence	State: No basis to reconsider; sentence final after affirmed appeal and denied PCRs	Wispe: Rehabilitation justifies reducing sentence	Denied — court affirmed; no legal basis to reopen or reduce sentence under facts presented

State v. Towey, 244 N.J. Super. 582 (App. Div.) (discussing standards for reconsideration of sentence)
Pepper v. United States, 562 U.S. 476 (2011) (post‑sentencing rehabilitation may be considered at resentencing but does not automatically require reduction)