Lynch v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 37 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 40 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “(1) the crime was committed while defendant was under the influence of a mental or emotional disturbance (moderate weight); (2) the defendant’s capacity to conform his conduct to the requirements of law was impaired (moderate weight); (3) the defendant suffered from a mental illness at the time of the offense (little weight); (4) the defendant was emotionally and physically abused as a child (little weight); (5) the defendant had a history of alcohol abuse (little weight); (6) the defendant had adjusted well to incarceration (little weight); (7) the defendant cooperated with police (moderate weight); (8) the defendant's expression of remorse, the fact that he has been a good father to his children, and his intent to maintain his relationship with his children (little weight).”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Lynch v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections · Richard E. Lynch v. State of Florida

2. “failed to present any evidence connecting any cognitive condition to his behavior”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Lynch v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections · Richard E. Lynch v. State of Florida

3. “Based on the nature of the crimes Lynch committed, and the fact that he confessed on at least three occasions, trial counsel believed that this was purely a sentencing case. Therefore, lead trial counsel, James E. Figgatt, in conjunction with co-counsel, Timothy Caudill, made a strategic decision to recommend that Lynch plead guilty and concentrate on mitigating his culpability for these offenses during the ensuing penalty phase. Counsel were particularly concerned with exposing Lynch to a jury because this case involved a thoroughly planned double murder of a mother and her thirteen-year-old minor daughter (although the murder of the daughter was an unintended, felony murder). During the postconviction hearing, Mr. Figgatt testified that he reviewed the indictment for defects and that he discussed possible defenses with Lynch before he pled guilty. Second-chair trial counsel, Mr. Caudill, did not believe that the facts of this case reasonably supported any theoretical defenses because Lynch had confessed to his actions during (1) a thirty — to forty-minute recorded conversation with a 911 dispatcher, (2) a discussion with a police negotiator, and (3) a videotaped confession (although Lynch characterized the murders as “accidental”). In Caudill’s mind, the facts of this case were wholly inconsistent with accidental discharge, Lynch’s actions supported a kidnapping charge, and the testimony of a neighbor — who lived directly across the hall from the victims — was extremely dam”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 897 F. Supp. 2d 1277 - Lynch v. Secretary, Department of Corrections