2011 Pa. Super. 56 - Commonwealth v. Ortiz’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. “[W]e note that a panel of this Court, in Commonwealth v. Carter specifically held that a life sentence for a juvenile offender convicted of second-degree murder does not violate the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Therefore, unless and until the U.S. Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, or the Pennsylvania Legislature concludes otherwise, we are bound by existing law holding that the imposition of a life sentence without the possibility of parole upon a juvenile convicted of a homicide offense is not cruel and unusual punishment.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 2012 Pa. Super. 148 - Commonwealth v. Knox

2. “The Supreme Court in Graham limited its holding to life sentences without the possibility of parole that were imposed on juveniles for non-homicide crimes only, and did not consider the constitutionality of such a sentence for juveniles convicted of a homicide offense. Appellant committed a crime of homicide, and thus Graham does not apply. As such, Appellant’s attempt to invoke an exception to the PCRA timeliness requirements by specifically relying upon Graham can afford Appellant no relief.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 2012 Pa. Super. 148 - Commonwealth v. Knox