State v. Slemmer’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

4 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 4 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The defendant’s plea of “not guilty” means that the State must prove every part of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. ... The law does not require a defendant to prove his innocence or to produce any evidence. The burden of proving the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt rests upon the State. This burden never shifts throughout the trial. The charge ... has three essential elements all of which must be proven by the state beyond a reasonable doubt.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. State v. Slemmer

2. “The defendant has offered evidence that he acted in self-defense. Self-defense requires that you find the defendant not guilty if the following three conditions are met: (1) The defendant reasonably believed he was in immediate danger of great bodily injury or death; and (2) The defendant acted solely because of this belief; and (3) The defendant used no more force than appeared reasonably necessary under the circumstances.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. State v. Slemmer

3. “If you decide the defendant’s conduct was justified, you must find the defendant not guilty.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. State v. Slemmer