Commonwealth v. MacKey’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

10 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 10 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[A]n 'investigative detention' ... carries an official compulsion to stop and respond.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Dix · Commonwealth v. Thran

2. “[o]ur standard of review in addressing a challenge to a trial court's denial of a suppression motion is limited to determining whether the factual findings are supported by the record and whether the legal conclusions drawn from those facts are correct. We may consider only the evidence of the prosecution and so much of the evidence for the defense as remains uncontradicted when read in the context of the record as a whole. Where the record supports the findings of the suppression court, we are bound by those facts and may reverse only if the court erred in reaching its legal conclusions based upon the facts. Moreover, it is within the [trial] court's province to pass on the credibility of witnesses and determine the weight to be given to their testimony.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Thran · Commonwealth v. Soto

3. “The veracity and reliability of anonymous tips are particularly difficult for the police to evaluate. Unlike trusted (or at least tested) informants or members of the public not concealing their identity, anonymous tipsters know they cannot be held to account for false allegations. In addition, they often fail to reveal the basis for their alleged knowledge and are generally unavailable to answer follow-up questions from police.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Soto