State v. Sutphin’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 419 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 422 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “whether substantial evidence of either a direct or circumstantial nature exists to support a verdict of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt with respect to every element essential to a conviction.”

   13 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Pickett · State v. Garvin

2. “A . . . corrections officer noticed blood on [Petitioner's] forearms and a pinkish-colored towel in his cell, and other items which he knew belonged to Franklin. [Petitioner's] bloody clothes were later found in a trash can. Franklin's autopsy revealed five large lacerations on the right side of his head which resulted in his death; but any one of the blows to his head would have rendered him unconscious. . . . . Defendant testified that on the night of October 18, he was in Franklin's cell when he noticed that Franklin was holding a small pipe in one hand. Fearful that Franklin would attack him, [Petitioner] jumped on him as Franklin started to fall, and straddled him on Franklin's bunk; [Petitioner] proceeded to grab the hand that held the pipe and hit Franklin on his head with it. [Petitioner] further testified that Franklin then pulled from under the pillow a larger pipe, but before Franklin had time to struggle, [Petitioner] grabbed a pipe and repeatedly hit Franklin with it in the head. Codefendant Hoffman observed the incident, pulled [Petitioner] off Franklin and urged [Petitioner] to leave Franklin's cell. At trial, [Petitioner] claimed that he hit Franklin in self-defense.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Sutphin

3. “This Court has stated that the trial court is in the best position to assess a juror's state of mind, by taking into consideration the juror's demeanor and credibility. It is within the trial court's discretion as to whether a prospective juror should be excused.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Fry