184 Md. App. 680 - Longus v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

8 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 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “A public trial “furnishes the public with the opportunity to observe the judicial process, and thus ensures that the ‘judge and prosecutor carry out their duties responsibly.’ ” Walker v. State, 125 Md.App. 48, 68 , 723 A.2d 922 (1999) (quoting Waller [v. Georgia, 467 U.S. 39, 46 , 104 S.Ct. 2210 , 81 L.Ed.2d 31 (1984)) ]. Indeed, “[t]he knowledge that every criminal trial is subject to contemporaneous review in the forum of public opinion is an effective restraint on possible abuse of judicial power.” In Re Oliver, 333 U.S. 257, 270 , 68 S.Ct. 499 , 92 L.Ed. 682 (1948). It thus is “a safeguard against any attempt to employ our courts as instruments of persecution.” Id. And, finally, it “ ‘encourages witnesses to come forward and discourages perjury.’ ” Walker, supra, 125 Md.App. at [68-]69, 723 A.2d 922 (quoting Waller, supra, 467 U.S. at 46 , 104 S.Ct. 2210 ).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 189 Md. App. 140 - Markham v. State

2. “1. Did the lower court err by ruling that a trial judge can exclude a portion of the spectators from the courtroom if the moving party offers a “substantial reason” to do so? 2. Did the trial judge err by granting the State’s motion to exclude two spectators from the courtroom during the testimony of a key prosecution witness?”

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

3. “where only certain persons are barred from the courtroom during a particular witness’s testimony” as opposed to complete closure, the trial court must find only a “substantial reason” as opposed to an”

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