People v. Michael M.’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

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

1. “[C]itizens have their own constitutional rights to communicate with the courts as their elected public officials, whether on behalf of the defendant or the alleged victim. Counsel cannot reasonably be expected to control every exercise of freedom of speech by individual citizens, whether they be friends of the victim or the defendant, or are just concerned members of the public. A Judge should not consider ex parte communications; but, written documents provided to the court, whether supplied by either side or unsolicited, can be considered by the court where they are openly disclosed to the parties. This court concludes, therefore, that all of the[] letters [offered here] are not ex parte communications under these circumstances. The court is satisfied that they can be considered in plea and sentence negotiations.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 119 F. Supp. 3d 87 - Constant v. Martuscello