State v. Almeda’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 federal appellate · 85 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 91 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “It is plain from a reading of [the Connecticut criminal attempt statute, which is identical in all material respects to HRS § 705-500(1),] that the intent required for attempt liability is the intent required for the commission of the substantive crime. The criminal result must be the conscious object of the actor’s conduct. A person is guilty of manslaughter in violation of [the applicable statute] when “[w]ith [the] intent to .cause serious physical injury to another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person....” [Connecticut law] defines “serious physical injury” as “physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death, or which causes serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health, or serious loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ....” Thus, the requisite intent for manslaughter under [the applicable statute] is the intent to cause serious physical injury rather that the “intent to cause the death of another person” required for the crime of murder. ... Manslaughter committed without an intent to cause the death of another is analogous to the concept of involuntary manslaughter. ... No intent to cause death is required. The illogic of attempted involuntary manslaughter is easily demonstrated. Manslaughter, as herein involved, requires that an individual having the intent to cause serious physical injury to another person causes the death of such person. Involuntary manslaughter is a homicide unintentionally caused. Attempt l”

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

2. “Manslaughter under [the applicable statute] is an intentional killing mitigated by circumstances evincing extreme emotional disturbance. Thus, the holding herein, that attempted manslaughter in violation of [the involuntary manslaughter statute] is not a crime, has no bearing on the offense of attempted manslaughter in violation of [the applicable statute], as that crime requires an intent to cause the death of another person....”

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