People v. Beauchamp’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. “A grand jury has found prima facie evidence that the children named in the indictment have been sexually abused. The specifics of this case cry out against a court ordered physical and/or psychological examination more than six months after the acts were alleged to have occurred. These children are not discoverable items. Even if the discovery statute could be stretched out of proportion to accommodate such a ruling, it would not only be inappropriate in the instant case but would border on gratuitous cruelty. [[Image here]] In balancing rights, a court should not function in a vacuum. It must be understood and conceded that a court directed examination by defendant’s psychiatrists would be aimed at proving his allegations. The infants would be questioned for the purpose of determining whether they were persuaded to testify falsely about their sexual abuse at the outset. They would not be interrogated with therapy in mind. It will be another ego diminishing episode — a recurring trauma — setting the stage for traumatic repercussions. The National Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse estimates that 200,000 children are sexually exploited each year, a curse on society of epidemic proportions. The medical profession has a responsibility to these children — to heal them. The courts have equal responsibility — to protect them. Children have always been the wards of the court. While the court has the continuing burden to protect the rights of the accused — it has at least an eq”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. State v. DRH · State v. Ballard