Aucoin v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 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 5 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[T]he requirement of a factual basis for a defendant’s plea is not a mere formality of the plea process, but it is required as part of a “constitutionally valid and enforceable decision to plead guilty.” Carter v. State, 775 So.2d 91, 98 (¶ 28) (Miss.1999) (quoting Lott, 597 So.2d at 628 ). Before a circuit court judge is authorized to accept an accused’s plea to a felony offense and thereafter potentially deprive the accused of years of his liberty, the judge and any reviewing court must be able to ascertain from the record those facts which are “sufficiently specific to allow the court to determine that the defendant’s conduct was within the ambit of that defined as criminal.” Lott, 597 So.2d at 628 .”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Simoneaux v. State · Henderson v. State

2. “A defendant may establish a factual basis for his guilty plea simply by pleading guilty, but his plea 'must contain factual statements constituting a crime or be accompanied by independent evidence of guilt.'”

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

3. “no factual basis existed for any of Aucoin's guilty pleas.”

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