113 Ill. 2d 516 - People v. Ward’s Empirical Analysis
1986
Citation profile
230 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 235 later decisions — most recently March 2026 · most notably 133 Ill. 2d 226 - People v. Barrow (1989), 127 Ill. 2d 192 - Deal v. Byford (1989)
230 state decisions
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Relationships
Relies on 68 Ill. 2d 149 - People v. Perruquet · United States v. Grayson · 88 Ill. 2d 482 - People v. La Pointe · 33 Ill. 2d 417 - The People v. Taylor · 62 Ill. 2d 456 - Genaust v. Illinois Power Co.
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 235 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
““ ‘We have frequently stated that the trial judge is normally in a better position to determine the punishment to be imposed than the courts of review. [Citations.] A reasoned judgment as to the proper sentence to be imposed must be based upon the particular circumstances of each individual case. [Citation.] Such a judgment depends upon many factors, including the defendant’s credibility, demeanor, general moral character, mentality, social environment, habits, and age. [Citation.] *** [T]he trial judge’s decisions in regard to sentencing are entitled to great deference and weight. We therefore reaffirm our long-standing rule that absent an abuse of discretion by the trial court a sentence may not be altered upon review.’ ” People v. Ward (1986), 113 Ill. 2d 516, 525-26 , 499 N.E.2d 422, 425 , quoting People v. Perruquet (1977), 68 Ill. 2d 149, 154 , 368 N.E.2d 882, 884 .”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“"Before reversing a sentence imposed by the trial court it must be clearly evident that the sentence was improperly imposed. [Citations.] In making the determination, the reviewing court should not focus on a few words or statements of the trial court. Rather, the determination of whether or not the sentence was improper must be made by considering the entire record as a whole." Ward, 113 Ill.2d at 526-27 , 101 Ill.Dec. 834 , 499 N.E.2d 422 .”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority““ ‘Impressions about the individual being sentenced — the likelihood that he will transgress no more, the hope that he may respond to rehabilitative efforts to assist with a lawful future career, the degree to which he does or does not deem himself at war with his society — are, for better or worse, central factors to be appraised under our theory of “individualized” sentencing.’ ” Ward, 113 Ill. 2d at 528-29 , 499 N.E.2d at 426-27 .”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.