State v. Caliendo’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

16 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 16 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Arson is and always has been regarded as one of the most serious offenses known to the criminal law. It is a crime which is rarely committed in the open and in the presence of witnesses, is usually most difficult to prove, and often can only be established by circumstantial evidence. The State is bound to prove all the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. If it relies solely on circumstantial evidence to establish the guilt of the accused, as in all other felonies, it must prove each and every circumstance upon which a conviction must rest beyond a reasonable doubt, and the evidence must be sufficient to exclude beyond a reasonable doubt every other reasonable hypothesis except that of the respondent’s guilt. State v. Richards, 85 Me., 252, 255, 27 A., 122 ; State v. Terrio, 98 Me. 17 , 56 A., 217 ; State v. Cloutier, 134 Me., 269, 186 A. 604 .””

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

2. ““-----It is not necessary, to constitute arson, that any of the building should be consumed. If any part, however small, be ignited, the offense is committed. State v. Taylor, 45 Me. 322 .---- “.......mere suspicion, however strong, will not supply the place of evidence and warrant a conviction.””

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

3. ““In this case, the corpus delicti of the arson is clearly established.””

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