State v. Fitzpatrick’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

65 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 65 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"As this Court has held many times over, the jury is the fact finding body in our system of jurisprudence, and its decision is controlling. The jury is free to consider all the evidence presented and to pick and choose which of the witnesses it wishes to believe. If sufficient testimony was introduced, as well as exhibits to justify the jury's findings, then its conclusion will not be disturbed unless it is apparent there was a clear misunderstanding by the jury or that there was a misrepresentation made to the jury."”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. State v. McKenzie · State v. Lucero

2. “[t]he test is whether the facts and circumstances are of such a quality and quantity as to legally justify a jury in determining guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. ...”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. State v. Shurtliff · State v. Polak

3. ““To find a person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, each fact in a chain of circumstances that will establish guilt need not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. What must be proved is that there is not reasonable doubt arising from consideration of all the evidence in the case. State v. Medicine Bull, Jr., (1968), 152 Mont. 34 , 445 P.2d 916 ; People v. Eddy (1954), 123 Cal.App.2d 826 , 268 P.2d 47, 52 ; People v. Kross (1952), 112 Cal.App.2d 602 , 247 P.2d 44, 51 ; People v. Diebert (1953), 117 Cal. App. 2d. 410, 256 P.2d 355, 362 .””

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