Caudill v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 43 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 48 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The defendant shall be present at the arraignment, at every critical stage of the trial including the empaneling of the jury and the return of the verdict, and at the imposition of the sentence.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. St. Clair v. Commonwealth · Soto v. Commonwealth

2. “Caudill had been living with the victim’s son, Steve White, but had moved out of his house on either March 13 or 14 following an argument concerning Caudill’s drug use. Caudill went to a nearby “crack house,” a residence where drug users gathered to buy, sell, and ingest controlled substances, especially crack cocaine. There she encountered Goforth, a casual acquaintance whom she had not seen for about fifteen years. Caudill testified that, on the afternoon of March 14, Goforth gave her a ride to Mrs. White’s residence and that Caudill induced White to give her twenty or thirty dollars on the pretext that she needed the money to rent a room for the night. Instead, she returned to the crack house and used the money to purchase crack cocaine. At about 3:00 a.m. on March 15, Caudill and Goforth returned to Mrs. White’s residence. According to Caudill, she went to the door and told Mrs. White that she needed more money for the room rental. Goforth remained out of sight near the garage. When Mrs. White turned away to retrieve the money, Goforth burst through the door and attacked her without warning. Caudill did not identify the weapon used by Goforth but remembered that, during the course of the attack, Mrs. White pleaded with her to “please help me, Virginia.” Goforth then took Caudill to a bedroom and bound her hands together. After killing White, Goforth ransacked the residence, loaded the jewelry, guns, and mink coat into his pickup truck, and wrapped the body in a carpet. He”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 871 F. Supp. 2d 639 - Caudill v. Conover

3. “You will find the Defendant Shawn William Ernst guilty of Kidnapping under this instruction, if, and only if, you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt all of the following: A. That in this county on or about the 2nd or 3rd day of April, 2000, and before the finding of the indictment herein, he restrained Sandra Kay Roberts by wrapping her in a tarp, plastic or shower curtain and/or tying her up with rope and locking her in the trunk of a car; B. That the restraint was without Sandra Kay Roberts’ consent; C. That in so restraining Sandra Kay Roberts it was the Defendant’s intention to accomplish or advance the commission of the crime of Tampering With Physical Evidence, or to inflict bodily injury or to terrorize Sandra Kay Roberts or another person; -AND- D. Sandra Kay Roberts was not released alive. If you find the Defendant guilty under this Instruction, you shall so state in your verdict and further state whether you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Sandra Kay Roberts was not released alive.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Ernst v. Commonwealth