State v. Smith’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 9 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “When considering a motion for a directed verdict in favor of a defendant, it is not the function of the Court to pass upon the weight of the evidence, but to determine its sufficiency to support the verdict. Where there is any evidence, however slight, on which the jury may justifiably find the existence or non-existence of material facts in issue, or if the evidence is of such character that different conclusions as to such facts reasonably may be drawn therefrom, the issue should be submitted to the jury. State v. Prince , 165 S.C. 115 , 162 S.E. 777 ; State v. Gellis , 158 S.C. 471 ; 155 S.E. 849 ; State v. Rush , 129 S.C. 43 , 123 S.E. 765 . The general rule is that, if there be any evidence tending to prove the fact in issue or which reasonably conduces to its conclusion as a fairly logical and legitimate deduction and not merely such as raises a suspicion or conjecture in regard to it, the case should be submitted to the jury. State v. Roddey , 126 S.C. 499 , 120 S.E. 359 ; State v. Villepigue , 127 S.C. 392 , 121 S.E. 258 ; State v. Walker , 138 S.C. 293 , 136 S.E. 215 .”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Goodson