State v. Ermels’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

18 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 18 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “in and of itself, to constitute a substantial and compelling reason to justify an exceptional sentence, so long as the sentence is authorized by statute and the findings also show that the sentence is consistent with the goals of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Brandenburg · State v. REANIER

2. “only present[ed] an issue as to whether [his] plea was knowing, intelligent, and voluntary. [And,] [b]ecause the portions of his plea agreement stipulating to the facts supporting the exceptional sentence and the legal basis for the exceptional sentence [were] indivisible from the rest of his plea agreement, he [could not] challenge the exceptional sentence without challenging the entire plea.”

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

3. “By statute, a Washington court may impose an exceptional sentence outside the standard range if it concludes that `there are substantial and compelling reasons justifying an exceptional sentence.'”

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