202 Ga. App. 708 - Lee v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

6 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 6 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “`The evidentiary circumstances necessary to show voluntary manslaughter, as opposed to circumstances showing the homicide was justified (because committed in self-defense), relate to a situation which arouses sudden passion in the person killing so that, rather than defending himself, he wilfully kills the attacker, albeit without malice aforethought, when it was not necessary for him to do so in order to protect himself. The distinguishing characteristic between voluntary manslaughter and justifiable homicide in such cases is whether the accused was so influenced and excited that he reacted passionately or whether the defendant acted simply to defend himself.'”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 229 Ga. App. 586 - Johnson v. State

2. “`The evidence here was in dispute as to whether appellant shot [LeCroy] with malice aforethought (since he was charged with murder), out of passion, or out of justification in self-defense. The resolution of this question depended heavily on the credibility of the witnesses, including appellant. Decisions regarding credibility are exclusively for the jury. A rational trier of fact was authorized to find the elements of voluntary manslaughter beyond a reasonable doubt.' (Punctuation and citations omitted.) Watkins v. State, 191 Ga.App. 325 -326(1), 382 S.E.2d 107 (1989).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 229 Ga. App. 586 - Johnson v. State