Ashby v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

42 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 43 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““The rule upon this subject, as announced by the later authorities, and the great weight of authority, is that, while the corpus delicti cannot be established by confessions alone, yet the confessions may be taken in connection with other evidence, direct or circumstantial, corroborating them, and, if from all of the evidence so considered together the corpus delicti and the guilt of the person with reference thereto is established beyond a reasonable doubt, it is the duty of the jury to convict.” Ashby v. State, 124 Tenn. 684, 697, 698 , 139 S. W. 872 , 875.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. King v. State

2. ““Undoubtedly some evidence of the corpus delicti should precede the introduction of the confessions of the prisoner, to the extent at least of showing, prima facie (1 Elliott on Ev., Section 292), that a crime has been committed, .... But, if the wrong order be followed in the trial court, it is not reversible error. . . . “All of the elements constituting the corpus delicti may be proven by circumstantial evidence.” Ashby v. State, 124 Tenn. 684, 697-699 , 139 S. W. 872 , 875.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Chadwick v. State