Agee v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

137 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 139 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The State has the burden of proving the voluntariness of a confession. This burden is met by the testimony of an officer, or other person having knowledge of the facts, that the confession was voluntarily made without any threats, coercion, or offer of reward. This makes out a prima facie case for the State on the question of voluntariness. Lee v. State, 236 Miss. 716 , 112 So.2d 254 (1959). When objection is made to the introduction of the confession, the accused is entitled to a preliminary hearing on the question of the admissibility of the confession. This hearing is conducted in the absence of the jury. Lee v. State, supra, is also authority for the proposition that when, after the State has made out a prima facie case as to the voluntariness of the confession, the accused offers testimony that violence, threats of violence, or offers of reward induced the confession, then the State must offer all the officers who were present when the accused was questioned and when the confession was signed, or give an adequate reason for the absence of any such witness. See also Holmes v. State, 211 Miss. 436 , 51 So.2d 755 (1951).”

   40 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Powell v. State · Chisolm v. State

2. “* * * it would be better for him to confess, as it would go lighter with him if he told the truth.”

   6 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Miller v. State · 606 So. 2d 1015 - Abram v. State

3. “it would be lighter on him if he'd tell the truth.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 606 So. 2d 1015 - Abram v. State