Reynolds v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

9 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 9 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““ ‘There is a general principle that one may not bolster the credibility of his own witness before that credibility has been attacked by the opponent. However, this traditional preclusion has been held inapplicable to preclude a calling party from anticipating such an attack and diffusing bias impeach ment by himself bringing out the bias-revealing matter on direct.’ “McElroy’s Alabama Evidence § 149.01(15) (footnotes omitted). “Furthermore: “ ‘[A] party may not bolster the credibility of his own witness until it first has been attacked. This principle, however, in no way precludes a party from diffusing the impact of possible impeachment by bringing out the impeaching information on direct. A witness’ inconsistent statement, for example, may be brought out on direct so as to diffuse the prejudicial impact such information would have if first brought out by the opponent.’ “McElroy’s Alabama Evidence § 116.01(2). “It is apparent from the record that the defense intended to elicit testimony that Chad Martin and John Langley were originally suspects in the crimes and that Chad Martin purportedly confessed to the crimes. By eliciting the fact that both men had been questioned at length by the police and subsequently excluded as suspects, the State was attempting to anticipate and diffuse the matter on direct. Under the facts of this case, we do not agree that the prosecutor was attempting to improperly bolster the credibility of the witnesses by the line of questions referenced b”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 155 So. 3d 1048 - Hosch v. State

2. “Reynolds testified that at the time of the incident, he and Adrian West were living with his father at his father's residence. Reynolds said that on the morning of Saturday May 24, 2003, his 'boss' came by the residence and paid his father and him for a painting job they had completed the day before. Later that morning, Donald Harvey came to the Reynolds residence and asked Michael Reynolds to install a car radio for him. Reynolds said that he installed the radio, and Harvey gave him a gram of cocaine in return.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 236 So. 3d 189 - Reynolds v. State

3. “Reynolds said that some time later, Adrian West woke him and told him that she was hurt. Reynolds got out of bed to attend to West. When Reynolds asked her how she was hurt, she told him that she had been stabbed. Reynolds then asked West how she had been stabbed, and she responded that 'Chuck was dead and she ... got stabbed trying to stop them from stabbing Chuck's wife.' (Vol.XI, R. 1567.) Reynolds testified that West did not tell him who she was with at the time of the stabbings.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 236 So. 3d 189 - Reynolds v. State