If the Richter scale measured seismic political shocks, Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson's announcement that he will not seek a second term certainly would register high on the chart.

If the Richter scale measured seismic political shocks, Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson's announcement that he will not seek a second term certainly would register high on the chart. It is not often that a politician voluntarily offers to step down after just one term.

Elective office can be addictive; it offers power and prestige. So, it is not surprising that some of Jackson's predecessors were long-time mayors. Arthur Holland served 26 years as mayor, mostly in the 1960s to 80s, and Douglas H. Palmer was no slouch with 20 years as top dog at City Hall.

Without a doubt, Jackson ushered in a breath of fresh air into the mayor's office after Tony Mack was forced out in 2014 and sent to prison for corruption.

When Jackson took office, after an initial unsuccessful try, he vowed to change the negative image of the capital city, which was not only tarnished by the Mack administration, but also plagued by crime and underachieving schools.

That was a lot to tackle in just four years.

To Jackson's credit, the city has made great strides in burnishing its reputation as an up and coming cultural destination. But the core problems still remain.

Assemblyman from Trenton running for mayor

The city's crime index has gone up during Jackson's tenure, but he can claim a much-reduced murder rate from when he took office.

And the public-school system is still very much a work in progress. Most of the district schools fall into the "needing improvement" category in areas of English, math and absenteeism.

The mayor also has taken some knocks over the problems at the Trenton Water Works and he took some heat when he defended his police director after he was caught on camera pulling over a vehicle without the authority to do so.

Running a large city in New Jersey is no easy matter. Jackson, like other mayors, has had to contend with serious budget problems. Last fall, the city came close to laying off 64 firefighters when they did not get a federal grant.

Despite all the challenges facing Trenton, or maybe because of them, there is no lack of contenders for the job of mayor.

About a half hour after Jackson announced he would not run again, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora threw his hat into the ring. He joins a field that already includes businessman Paul Perez (who lost to Jackson in 2014), Councilman Alex Bethea and newcomer Michael Silvestri. And more candidates may seek a ballot spot in the May nonpartisan election for mayor. 

But looking back on his tenure, Jackson can rightly claim his administration repaired a broken city government, restored faith in most city services and created an environment of growth and positive outlook.

Jackson said his reason for not seeking another term was personal and not a political decision.

"Truthfully, I thought I would do two terms, but decisions change, and now my wife and our family, we have decided we're going to take another course of action," Jackson told a reporter.

Just what that course of action will be, the 59-year-old Jackson did not specify, but he said he will continue to be involved in the city where he was born and raised.

"I still believe I have much to contribute to Trenton's rebirth, but my contributions will be greater outside the halls of City Hall and the mayor's office," he said.

Knowing when to bow out is just as important as knowing when to run for office. Jackson is leaving on his own terms and he's leaving an office in better shape than he found it.

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Average scores among the state's public high schools ranged from a low of 795 to a high of 1,502

Trenton Water Works is under scrutiny as the race for mayor starts to heat up

This update features our first access to the second floor of the $155 million school

The first of the fast food chains 'future' model opened in Hamilton this past weekend. Here's a tour Watch video

The future has arrived in Mercer County - in fast food that is.

We'll show you how to navigate the new multiple ordering options at a "McDonald's of the Future," so when you go, no one need realize you're only from the year 2018.

Just last Saturday, the McDonald's on South Broad Street in Hamilton, while celebrating the 55th Anniversary of the location's operation, on the same day held a grand re-opening as a McDonald's of the Future location.

For ordering, there's a McDonald's app (of course) and now there are large-screen, vertical kiosks that greet you where food orders can be customized almost endlessly.

At the kiosk, payment can be made in a variety of electronic ways, including Apple Pay.

If you're feeling nostalgic, you can still walk over to the register and pay a person using any of the aforementioned electronic forms of payment, or even... cash.

Table service is part of the new plan, so you can go find a place to sit in the sleek cafe-style seating area, unless you happen to have small children with you.

In that case, you'll want to find a table near the enclosed multi-level play area where youngsters can work up an appetite before your food is delivered to you.

Outside, there is now a two-lane drive-through and even curbside pickup if you used the McDonald's app to order ahead.

If that's the case, don't stress out if you got there a little later than expected. Your burgers won't be cold, because according to supervisor Keith Smolar, the app knows when you've arrived and your food won't be prepared until you get there.

Family owned and operated, Tom Smolar's son Keith will be entering a supervisory position, marking the final step before officially becoming the third generation of the Smolar family operating McDonald's restaurants in the Trenton area.

The venture began with Tom's dad, Leo. Tom's other son Kevin is also on board in the family enterprise.

Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @michaelmancuso Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Who sparkled this week in #NJHoops?

Christopher Asch and two men from New Jersey plotted to kidnap, rape and murder of the men's wives and family members

A former New York City school librarian who came to the attention of authorities while they investigated the so-called "cannibal cop" was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison for being part of a kidnapping and rape conspiracy with two New Jersey men. 

Christopher Asch

Christopher Asch, 65, of Manhattan, was involved in two "sadistic" kidnapping, rape, and murder conspiracies, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said in a statement.

Asch plotted with two New Jersey residents he met over the Internet, Richard Meltz, and Michael Van Hise. 

Meltz, 67, of Linden, pleaded guilty in September 2014 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Van Hise, 27, a former Hamilton resident, was also convicted in 2014 but hasn't yet been sentenced. 

Meltz served as undersheriff in Sussex County and as a Byram Township councilman for several terms admitted that he conspired to kidnap, rape and murder the wife of a man he met over the Internet between 2011 and 2013. He also admitted conspiring to do the same to a female FBI agent working undercover.

Authorities said the three talked over email and instant messaging about a plan to kidnap, torture and kill Van Hise's wife and other members of Van Hise's family. 

Van Hise sent Asch and Meltz photographs of the people he wanted to target as well as where they lived, according to prosecutors. 

Asch covertly watched the undercover agent and collected torture tools including a 20-million-volt stun gun, a whip, clamps, skewers and gynecological implements, authorities said.

Van Hise also communicated with Gilberto Valle, the former New York City police officer whose conviction in a conspiracy to kidnap, kill and eat young women was later reversed by a judge. 

The judge said it was more likely than not that Valle's internet communications about kidnapping were fantasy role-play. Prosecutors have appealed the reversal. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Oliver Crane starting rowing Dec. 14 and didn't stop until Sunday when he became the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean

Sung Han, 35, was found unresponsive in his Burlington County home last year

A Camden drug dealer who sold heroin to a Burlington Township overdose victim in 2017 was found responsible for his death in Burlington County Superior Court Tuesday.

Jose LaPorte 

After a three-day trial, jurors convicted Jose LaPorte, 25, of strict liability for drug-induced death and other drug offenses in connection with the April 12 death of Sung Han, 35, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

In the announcement, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina warned that his office would aggressively go after "purveyors of poison" like LaPorte.

"With over 130 overdose deaths in our County in 2017, law enforcement will be putting an ever greater emphasis on investigating fatal overdoses as potential crime scenes and we will pursue prosecutions under the strict liability, drug-induced-death homicide statute whenever the evidence supports it," Coffina said.

Burlington Township Police were called to a medical emergency in an apartment in the Sunset Heights complex and found Sung Han unconscious, officials have said. He was later pronounced dead from a heroin overdose, authorities said.

Investigators tracked the heroin back to LaPorte and arrested him two days later in the township. He was in possession of heroin at the time, the release said.

Sentencing will be before Judge Jeanne T. Covert in March.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Victim Jenna Richards was a soccer star in college and worked in Trenton

A Bucks County, Pa. man authorities say was high on drugs and driving almost 100 miles an hour when he rocketed into a young woman's car in 2016, killing her, will spend the next 17 to 40 years in prison.

A judge sentenced Louis Gene Demora, 53, on Monday for the vicious crash that killed Jenna Richards on Dec. 20, 2016, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.

A jury convicted him in November of third-degree murder, homicide by vehicle, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, DUI, reckless driving, and speeding.

Richards, 22, was a recent graduate of Holy Family University in Philadelphia, where she was a soccer standout and majored in criminal justice. She was working in pretrial services for the U.S. District Court at the federal building in downtown Trenton.

Richards' death has left a heart-wrenching hole in her family and friend's collective hearts, loved ones said in court Monday.

"Jenna was a healthy, athletic, intelligent, beautiful person who had a smile for everyone she met," her mother Donna Richards said, according to the district attorney's statement.

Demora and Richards were both from Croydon, a section of Bristol Township where the crash occurred.

Richards was three blocks from her home and headed to the gym. She died at the scene, her car nearly torn in half.

Demora tested positive for heroin, cocaine and Xanax shortly after the crash. Witnesses told police that just after the impact, he said he was trying to kill himself and didn't mean to harm anyone.

"It was a tragic accident and I didn't set out to hurt nobody," Demora said at his sentencing, according to the statement.

At the hearing, Richards' family and the judge, let him have it, verbally.

Deputy District Attorney Robert D. James said Demora had drug and alcohol classes and rehabilitation programs following his past addiction-related crimes.

"Nothing has worked," James said in court, according to the statement. "The system didn't fail this defendant. This defendant failed the system."

"Just flying down the road like a heat-seeking missile bent on destruction...This is the definition of malice," Bucks County Judge Brian T. McGuffin said in court.

Demora "cheated us out of seeing what Jenna Richards was going to be (and) all of the great things she would have done," McGuffin said.

"You've been given every opportunity," the judge said. "None of it has worked. The community needs to be protected."

Donna Richards described how a phone call cut short a Christmas shopping trip and how she raced to the crash scene to find her daughter was dead and the offender survived.

"How ironic that he was receiving treatment after trying to kill himself, yet my daughter never even made it to an ambulance," she said. "It's a year later and her headstone is still not engraved. I can't stand the thought of seeing her name there. It's not fair."

She called Demora "the reason parents do not sleep at night until their children are home safe. He is every mother's worst nightmare."

Sister Keri Richards would not say Demora's name, referring to him as "inmate #081137."

And her father, William Richards, wrote that his "heart has been broken forever."

Jenna Richards' boyfriend, Brandon Sweeney, said he struggled to graduate from the Philadelphia Police Academy after her death, and continues to battle depression and anxiety.  

"When people see me in public, they are scared to come up and talk to me because they don't know what to say to me," Sweeney said in the statement. The couple talked of having four children and a large yard for hosting family gatherings.

"I'm now that guy everyone dreads talking to," he said.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Who shined in the past week on the basketball court?

The "underdog" Eagles take on the Patriots in Super Bowl 52.

A civil engineering company has agreed to come to the rescue of Trenton Water Works.

Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson has reached an agreement with a civil engineering company to hep run the city's municipal water utility, amid escalating concerns about water quality and infrastructure.

The state Department of Community Affairs has approved the proposed 12-month emergency contract with Wade Trim to aid Trenton Water Works.

Wade Trim is headquartered in Detroit and has offices in nine states.

Asked about the agreement, city spokesman Michael A. Walker said, "This is all part of Mayor Jackson's plan to bolster Trenton Water Works and ensure that it continues to deliver services that meets and exceeds state and federal standards."  

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed and is not clear when Wade Trim would arrive in Trenton, or whether the company's assistance at the utility was already underway.

DCA spokeswoman Tammori Petty said Tuesday that Trenton is allowed to proceed due to the exigent circumstances, but that the City Council would need to eventually ratify the contract. 

Council President Zachary Chester did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The agreement with Wade Trim is aimed at satisfying a directive last fall from the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection.

Following a long-running litany of problems -- including an incident in June, in which about 35,000 customers were told to boil their tap water after a drop in chlorine levels was detected at the city's water treatment plant -- the DEP told the city to award an emergency contract, in order to buy time while developing a request for proposals for a long-term agreement for maintenance and operations.

After the city missed a Nov. 30 deadline, then-DEP Commissioner Bob Martin sent a follow-up letter Jan. 12, just four days before Gov. Phil Murphy took office, and reiterated concerns about the management, operations and maintenance of the 159-year-old utility.

Martin, in his letter, said the city's "inability or unwillingness to act with the urgency the current situation requires potentially puts at risk the health" of those relying on the utility.

On  Jan. 19, the Trenton City Council sent a letter to DEP, requesting a review of the "conditions and needs" at Trenton Water Works.

Established by Trenton in 1859, the utility provides water to approximately 225,000 customers in Trenton and parts of Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrence and Hopewell. It provides for sewer services in Trenton but not in the four neighboring municipalities.

How this aging N.J. water utility became a 'failure'

Walker said that the city's public works director, Merkle Cherry, will discuss the agreement when the City Council meets Thursday, and raised the possibility that the council will hold a vote at that time.

The troubles at Trenton Water Works are expected to be among the big issues in the May 8 election for mayor.

Jackson, on Friday, announced that he will not be seeking a second, 4-year term, stating there was no one issue that led to his decision.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook  

New Jersey Assemblyman Ronald Dancer is sponsoring a measure that would allow churches, synagogues and mosques to select what he calls a "qualified person" to bring a concealed handgun into services.

A Republican assemblyman believes you'll feel safer if the worshiper in the next pew is carrying a concealed weapon.

Ronald Dancer is sponsoring a measure that would allow churches, synagogues and mosques to select what he calls a "qualified person" to bring a concealed handgun into services.

What could possibly go wrong?

The lawmaker, whose district covers parts of Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties, points out, correctly, that places of worship are a terrorist target.

But he's way off base in his proposed solution.

Lawmaker says someone with a gun should protect N.J. churches

Dancer introduced his bill following two mass shootings at U.S. churches in the past three years: the killing of 26 people by a gunman at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, last November, and the slaughter of nine congregants at a black church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) had a classic response to the misguided proposal: "Oh my god, you're kidding me."

With all due respect to the NRA's Wayne "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun" LaPierre, introducing guns into our state's (or any state's) sacred places does not decrease the threat of bloodshed. It multiplies it.

Evidence is growing that adding more firepower to an active shooting scene, with all its attendant confusion and mass hysteria, only increases the odds of innocent people being killed in a hail of bullets.

In the Texas tragedy, for example, more than 40 people were shot before an armed neighbor intervened.

The good news is that Assembly Bill 1695 is not likely to go very far in a Legislature controlled by Democrats. And even if it did buck the odds and pass, Gov. Phil Murphy is certainly not inclined to sign the measure after calling for stricter gun safety laws in the state.

The truth is, New Jersey has much to be proud of when it comes to standing up to the all-powerful gun lobby, harking back to the administration of Jim Florio in the early 1990s.

More recently, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th District) led our congressional delegation in a fierce campaign against an NRA-sponsored effort to expand an individual's rights to carry a concealed weapon across state lines.

Dancer's bill was referred to the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee in early January. With any luck, it will die a quiet death there.

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Amber Dudley was shot dead when another victim fought with the gunman Watch video

Two men involved in a robbery gone wrong in East Trenton that left a Camden County woman dead two years ago pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon for their roles in the crime.

Andrew Alston, 40, and triggerman Ronderrick Manuel, 44, pleaded guilty to amended charges for the killing of 27-year-old Amber Dudley, a week before their trial was scheduled to start in Mercer County Superior Court.

Dudley was a passenger in a vehicle operating under the rideshare service Lyft that prosecutors have said was lured to the area of East Trenton and Mechanics avenues on Nov. 30, 2016.

The robbery target - a man who authorities have never named publicly - was one of four people in the car, including Dudley, another, unnamed woman and the Lyft driver.

When they arrived in East Trenton, Manuel got into the car intending to rob the man. Manuel and the victim got into an altercation and the gun went, off killing Dudley, according to Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo. 

The Lyft driver sped away and pulled over in front of Trenton Police Department headquarters on North Clinton Avenue when he saw patrol cars, police said. Dudley died at a city hospital a short time later.

In court, Manuel admitted to shooting Dudley during the confrontation and pleaded guilty to first degree aggravated manslaughter.

The prosecutor's office recommends he be sentenced to 30 years in state prison subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA).

Alston, who's home was used to plan the robbery with his codefendant's, pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and weapons charges. 

Prosecutors recommend he be sentenced to 16 years for the robbery and seven years for the weapons charge to be served concurrently.

Alston and Manuel had both been indicted on the charge of felony murder.

Three others have been charged in the Dudley killing: Kasey DeZolt, Dominique Richter and Douglas Mathis.

Richter pleaded guilty to third-degree theft by unlawful taking in September.

Mathis allegedly drove Manuel to East Trenton the night of the crime, the prosecutor's office has said.

All three of the codefendants who agreed to plead guilty must cooperate with the prosecutor's office, including testifying against their remaining defendants if they go to trial, the office said.

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook 

The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office's Internal Affairs Unit conducted and investigation after the death was ruled a suicide

The family of a man who committed suicide while being held at the Mercer County Correction Center accuses the jail in a lawsuit of violating his civil rights. 

Anthony Gyorffy, 22, of Trenton was being held in the Mercer County jail following an arrest on a robbery charge on April 4, 2016. 

According to the suit, on April 16, Gyorffy was "taunted, harassed, assaulted, and beaten" by correction center employees, and as a result suffered serious, permanent and painful injuries. 

The next day Gyorffy was found hanging in his cell. He was taken to a local hospital and died on April 27, as a result of his injuries. 

The suit argues that officers failed to search Gyorffy's cell and remove the bed sheet he used to hang himself. 

Prosecutor investigating embattled Mercer County jail

The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office's Internal Affairs Unit conducted an investigation after a medical examiner ruled Gyorffy's death a suicide.

The investigation has since concluded without any criminal charges filed. The case was sent back to the jail for whatever administrative action the correction center deemed appropriate, according to prosecutor's spokeswoman Casey DeBlasio.

In the suit, the jail is accused of violating Gyorffy's civil rights by failing to properly supervise him, provide emergency services and assaulting and using excessive force.

Gyorffy's family is seeking damages for pain and suffering experienced by Gyorffy before his death, along with compensatory and punitive damages and attorney fees.

Mercer County declined to comment on the mater, as per their standard policy. 

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook 

Although the Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid to benefit more of the state's children, about 3.5 percent of our kids still lack coverage, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective.

It would seem to be a no-brainer: Extending health care benefits to children keeps them out of the emergency room, eases the impact of killers such as diabetes and asthma, and helps youngsters succeed in school while creating more stable families.

Yet for all the progress New Jersey has made in broadening health-insurance availability to middle-class and poor children in the past decades, a new report finds that nearly 70,000 of our youngest residents have no coverage whatsoever.

Although the Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid to benefit more of the state's children, about 3.5 percent of our kids still lack coverage, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective.

Most of the uninsured live in our urban counties such as Essex and Hudson, but some rural counties fare no better.

Race and ethnic background also play a role: While 2 percent of white children lack coverage, the rate rises to 3 percent among black kids and 7 percent among Hispanic children - many of whom have no legal status.

Murphy team urges governor to end 'surprise' medical bills

Now the progressive think tank has crafted a blueprint for what it calls the underinsured gap for kids, offering lawmakers and advocates ways to ease the burden on families, as well as on the state's public-health system.

The suggestions include ways that families making more than the prescribed income level might be able to buy into FamilyCare - our state's version of Medicaid. That "buy-in" option, still in place in neighboring New York and Pennsylvania, went away four years ago under Gov. Chris Christie.

Another important component of the report would change state statutes to permit undocumented children to participate in the program.

Unfortunately, that's likely to be the most controversial aspect of the NJPP report, given the frenzy of anti-immigrant sentiment sweeping the country, coupled with the divisive (read: draconian) policies the White House has insisted on enforcing.

But in addition to being the humane thing to do, extending health-insurance coverage to undocumented youngster would also be a financially sound strategy, given that the cost of charity care drains more than $230 million from the state's coffers every year.

With the proposed changes, nearly 35,000 children would qualify for Medicaid, based on their family's income.

State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), chair of the Senate Health Committee, says he is willing to sponsor legislation that would broaden the program to undocumented children. It's an offer we hope Vitale's fellow lawmakers will consider long and hard in the coming months.

It's also encouraging that the committee working on Gov. Phil Murphy's transition team is weighing in, urging the new governor to craft a plan for dealing with the issue within 100 days.

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Who is standing out midway through the season?

Princeton University is heading into teeth of Ivy League schedule

Known throughout the years for its defense, this season the Princeton University offense is shooting its way into the headlines.

Coming off a three-week semester break the other night, the Tigers had little problem finding the basket as they blasted Rowan 86-50. They resume Ivy League play this weekend, evening games at home against Yale Friday and Brown Saturday.

They have already played three league games, losing only at Penn (76-70). They meet again next Tuesday at Jadwin Gym.

With an overall record of 10-8, Princeton is averaging 72 points per game while shooting 47 percent - 40 percent from three - and making 71 percent of its free throws.

"We can really shoot it,'' coach Mitch Henderson said after practice the other day. "I've had good shooting teams, but we have so many guys that can come into the game and make a shot. Everybody who plays significant minutes can shoot.''

Princeton Tigers head coach Mitch Henderson during a December game against Southern California. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) 

Leading the way are juniors Devin Cannady and Myles Stephens, and seniors Amir Bell and Aaron Young. Freshman Jerome Desrosiers is shooting 51 percent, and others like Sebastian Much, Richmond Arriguzoh and Will Gadson are, in Henderson's words, "making significant contributions, not just significant minutes.

"We're really learning how to play together and move the ball,'' Henderson added. "We have a chance to be an excellent offensive team.''

Cannady leads the way with an 18.2 scoring average and shoots 43 percent from three. Twice he has scored 28 points in a game. Stephens shoots 51 percent and has a high of 30 points. He can make shots from his home in Lawrence.

Bell, with 71 assists and 24 steals, is shooting 45 percent while scoring 9.3. Another Jersey guy, from East Brunswick, Bell and Stephens have combined to block 23 shots.

Which leads to defense, a Princeton trademark linked through coaching legends Pete Carril and Butch van Breda Kolff.

"We get a lot of attention for our Princeton offense, but it's always been our defense that gets us where we want to be; which is playing at a championship level,'' Henderson said. "I think we're improving, and that's the exciting part. We did not play well defensively against Penn, but in our last three games (prior) we were what we want to see. I think the best defensive team in the league is going to have the most success.''

Princeton Tigers guard Myles Stephens dribbles the ball up the court against Miami in this December photo. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports) 

While the offense has been impressive and the defense is coming along, the team's identity is nearly shaped.

"I think we're getting there. If you look at our defensive numbers from now to a year ago; we really made a move a year ago right now. That's what we're looking for: an attitude; a swagger,'' Henderson said. "We know you can make plays with that kind of an approach.

"We're gonna' come right at you. When you're aggressive and disciplined, and if you can take care of the two or three really good players on each team, then you're usually in pretty good shape with the rest of the group. This group,'' he said, "has answered everything I've asked them to do. I think they understand it's about the progress every day.''

Every day is getting more important now, and by next weekend Princeton would have played five games in nine days. Following the Penn game, Princeton plays its next two weekends on the road.

"This is the month,'' Henderson said. "Nine games this month. You have to make your move, and you have to make it right now.''

On offense, and defense.

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Tormu Prall had won a new trial in 2016, but never left prison during the appeals

The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated the convictions of a Trenton man who killed his brother in a 2007 by setting his house on fire.

An appeals court threw out Tormu Prall's convictions in 2016 and ordered a new trial based on errors made by Mercer County Judge Andrew Smithson at trial.

Tormu Prall, state prison photo. 

The high court agreed with the appellate panel's conclusions that the judge erred on admitting evidence and testimony.

"However, we find the errors were not capable of producing an unjust result because of the overwhelming weight and quality of the evidence against defendant," the court wrote in a unanimous opinion.

Tormu Prall was convicted in 2013 of killing his brother John Prall, and attempting to kill John's girlfriend Kimberly Meadows.

At the time of the crime, in 2007, the brothers were living together and often argued about bills and on previous occasions Tormu Prall had told his girlfriend, Jessie Harley, he was going to kill his brother, according to the opinion and prior testimony.

During the police investigation, Harley told police that Tormu had previously threatened to burn her home down when she attempted to end their relationship, and had taken out a restraining order against him because of the threats.

Two days before the fire, Tormu went to his girlfriend's house and told her that he had fought with John publicly and was going to kill his brother.

At trial, Meadows testified that she and John had fallen asleep and during the night woke up to flames and rolled over to find John on fire from the waist up.

The two were able to escape the flaming house, but John died four days later and Kimberly was severely burned. 

Before the trial began, Tormu's threats against Harley were deemed inadmissible in court, but the prosecutor was ultimately allowed to question Harley about the threats, and mention them in closing statements.

Also at trial, Meadows testified that when she and John awoke on fire, he "started hollering and screaming saying oh, my God. My brother, my brother." 

The defense did not object to this testimony until later in the day during a break.

The prosecutor argued that hearsay exemptions could be applied, but the judge found it was a mistake to admit the testimony, and instructing the jury to dismiss the testimony - 12 days after initially hearing it, right before closing arguments and after the defense presented its only witness.

The appellate court ruled Harley should not have testified about the threats made against her and the prosecutor should not have referenced the threats in closings. It also decided that the jury had been improperly instructed when it came to dismissing Medows testimony that John had shouted "my brother, my brother."

The Supreme Court found there was overwhelming fact and expert evidence properly offered against Tormu.

"This is a rare case in which we find significant errors by the trial court to be harmless because, when evaluated in light of the vast evidence against defendant, those errors were not 'sufficient to raise a reasonable doubt as to whether (they) led the jury to a result it otherwise might not have reached,'" the court wrote.

Tormu Prall has been in state prison during the appeals process serving decades of time for several murder and related charges.

He is currently eligible for parole in 2092.

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook