State v. Patton’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

79 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 79 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““[t]he power of this Court to modify sentences should further be tempered by the realization that a defendant appears in person before the trial judge, rendering that judge, in most instances, more able than ourselves to evaluate the defendant and his circumstances. State v. Smith, 107 Ariz. 218 , 484 P.2d 1049 (1971); State v. Reid, 114 Ariz. 16 , 559 P.2d 136 (1976).” State v. Patton, supra, 120 Ariz. at 388 , 586 P.2d at 637 .”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Ferreira · State v. Neese

2. ““In reviewing the propriety of the trial judge’s discretion, we must look to the same considerations. The defendant’s age, physical health, cooperative attitude, moral character, and prior criminal record or lack thereof, are all valid considerations. The non-violent nature of the crime, the depravity of the offense, the degree of defendant’s participation, and the sentences given to co-offenders, have all been used to evaluate the circumstances of the crime itself.””

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

3. “Although a [trial court] is aided by the recommendations of county attorneys, police officers and probation officers, it is fundamental that [the court] is not bound by any of these suggestions.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Spence v. Bacal