In re Hamilton’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. ““It is therefore manifest that, if in the case at bar the sentence had been for the life of petitioner, it would have been a good sentence in law, and we are confronted with the question: Was it the judgment of the court, as shown by its record, that petitioner be imprisoned for life? To this question I think but one reasonable answer can be given. We cannot hold the recommendation of the court as the sentence, and ignore the positive language of the judgment fixing a period of imprisonment of not less than ten years.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. In re Smith

2. ““That the said George E. Hamilton be confined in the State house of correction and branch of the State prison in the Upper Peninsula, Marquette, Mich., at hard labor, for a period of not less than ten years from and including this day, and the judge thereupon did recommend and state that, in his judgment, the proper maximum penalty would be the term of his natural life as fixed by the statute.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. In re Smith