2000 Pa. Super. 330 - Commonwealth v. Edwards’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

9 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 10 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The threshold inquiry in ineffectiveness claims is whether the issue/argument/tactic which counsel has foregone and which forms the basis for the assertion of ineffectiveness is of arguable merit; for counsel cannot be considered ineffective for failing to assert a merit-less claim. Once this threshold is met we apply the “reasonable basis” test to determine whether counsel’s chosen course was designed to effectuate his Ghent’s interests. If we conclude that the particular course chosen by counsel had some reasonable basis, our inquiry ceases and counsel’s assistance is deemed effective. If we determine that there was no reasonable basis for counsel’s chosen course, then the accused must demonstrate that counsel’s ineffectiveness worked to his prejudice.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 2001 Pa. Super. 46 - Commonwealth v. Statum · 2001 Pa. Super. 123 - Commonwealth v. Steward

2. “A weapon shown to have been in a defendant’s possession may properly be admitted into evidence, even though it cannot positively be identified as the weapon used in the commission of a particular crime, if it tends to prove that the defendant had a weapon similar to the one used in the perpetration of the crime.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 2007 Pa. Super. 213 - Commonwealth v. Owens · 2012 Pa. Super. 264 - Commonwealth v. Williams

3. ““an accused does not have a constitutional right to a line-up and the suggestiveness of a courtroom identification is only one factor to be considered in determining the reliability of the identification evidence. Moreover, this jurisdiction has ‘declined to accept a per se rule that a pre-trial, pre-hearing fine up is mandatory in all cases.’ A fortiori, counsel’s failure to request a lineup or failure to object to identification testimony is not per se ineffective assistance.” [We must then] review the totality of the circumstances to see if there was a reliable independent basis for the in-court identification by the [crime] victim.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 2001 Pa. Super. 62 - Commonwealth v. Burton