Lawson v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

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

1. “looked like a `nickel bag of marijuana.'”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Brown v. Com. · Harris v. Com.

2. “As an articulated legal standard, probable cause deals with probabilities concerning the factual and practical considerations in everyday life as perceived by reasonable and prudent persons. It is not predicated upon a clinical analysis applied by legal technicians. Brinegar v. United States, 338 U.S. 160 [ 69 S.Ct. 1302 , 93 L.Ed. 1879 ] (1949); Schaum v. Commonwealth, 215 Va. 498 , 211 S.E.2d 73 (1975). In determining whether probable cause exists courts will test what the totality of the circumstances meant to police officers trained in analyzing the observed conduct for purposes of crime control. Davis v. United States, 409 F.2d 458 (D.C.Cir.1969).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Harris v. Com.

3. “If [the police officer] had probable cause to believe that there was contraband in the yellow envelope, he had the right to seize it, and, when its contents appeared to be marijuana, to arrest Lawson for its possession. Incident to this arrest the officer also had a right to make a search of Lawson's person and to seize the foil packets.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Harris v. Com.