State v. Davis’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

11 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 11 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The abuse of discretion standard applies when reviewing claims of denial of meaningful discovery and concerning the relevancy and admissibility of evidence.... When reviewing a claim that a defendant was denied meaningful discovery, the appellate court will determine whether the trial court abused its discretion in such a way as to result in fundamental unfairness. Fundamental unfairness occurs when the state’s failure to disclose results in defendant’s genuine surprise and the surprise prevents meaningful efforts to consider and prepare a strategy for addressing the evidence. However, a defendant is not entitled to information on the mere possibility that it might be helpful, but must make some plausible showing how the information would have been material and favorable.”

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

2. “only reflect[] a generalized claim that the files would contain relevant material and possible exculpatory statements[,]”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. STATE OF MISSOURI, Plaintiff-Respondent v. ROBERT EDWARD SMITH

3. “not merely a desperate grasping at a straw.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. STATE OF MISSOURI, Plaintiff-Respondent v. ROBERT EDWARD SMITH