2000 Pa. Super. 38 - Commonwealth v. McMullen’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 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 12 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “In the present matter, we have no difficulty concluding that the evidence independent of Appellee’s statement was insufficient to establish the corpus delicti for the homicide charge. The only evidence pointing to foul play were the bruises and lacerations on the decedent’s face, and the pathologist could not conclude that these blows were more likely caused by an assailant than they were by decedent’s striking objects after falling into the water. On the other hand, much evidence pointed to the decedent’s death being an accident, including the lack of signs of a struggle and decedent’s own behavior. Most notably, no new evidence other than Appellee’s statement surfaced between the time of the original findings of accidental death and the reopening of the burglary and death investigations.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. McMullen v. Tennis