Collier v. Turpin’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 federal appellate ·

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

1. “Collier contends that statements made by Judge Coker on the record following the prosecutor’s objection to the testimony of his third witness, Shelly Jordan— that he had “mutual respect” for Collier— support his claim that the judge improperly limited the mitigation evidence his attorneys could present. The transcript reveals that Collier’s counsel began the sentencing phase by asking the first two witnesses a few brief questions about their personal history and association with Collier, and then about Collier’s reputation in the community for truth and veracity, whether the witness would believe Mr. Collier under oath, and little else. 16 The third witness called to the stand was Shelly Jordan. Donald Bennett began the direct examination of the witness by asking foundational questions, apparently as a predicate to inquiring about Collier’s reputation. The following transpired: MR. BENNETT: What has been your association with Mr. Collier? MR. JORDAN: Well, we were always close friends, and always got along well, and had a lot of mutual respect for each other. MR. BENNETT: Do you have that respect for him now? MR. CAMPBELL: Your Honor, I object at this time, it’s not what he thinks of him. THE COURT: I believe you’ve gone a little far afield, as to his feeling for the defendant. MR. CAMPBELL: It’s whether he knows him in the community where he lives, and not what he thinks about him, but what the people in that community, it’s not what he thinks, it’s what the people in the co”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Collier v. Turpin

2. “[a] number of specific instances in Mr. Collier’s life, rescuing an individual from drowning, his career in school [in South Pittsburgh], instances where we felt he had proven and that he had made positive contributions to the community. Facts not relating to the crime itself but facts relating to Mr. Collier’s personality, his background. Facts relating to his diabetes and the effect of diabetes on his behavior, when his blood sugar level would be out of balance. And testimony showing the history of his living in that South Pittsburgh community.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Collier v. Turpin

3. “Well, here we go again, you see, Mr. Bennett, evidently our little talk out there, the bantering back and forth didn’t mean very much to you, as to what you were going to do and I told you the problem that we get into by just doing these things, and evidently your memory has become rather short. I know what you told me you were going to do, and I felt it might be all right in a case like this.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Collier v. Turpin