Wilson v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

15 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 15 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “It thus appears that our general rule is to give rebuttable presumptions permissive or burden-of-production-shifting effect only____We hold that the presumption of guilt is rebuttable and is to be analyzed as a permissive inference, even if it is construed to require the defendants to produce such evidence of “good cause.” .... We construe the second presumption as we have construed the first, to be rebuttable and not burden-of-persuasion-shifting. It is to be analyzed, therefore, as a permissible inference.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Pattarasok

2. “The flashing of a light attached to any vehicle or a spotlight or . flashlight from any vehicle between a half hour after sunset on any day and a half hour before sunrise the following day by any person or persons, then in possession of a rifle, shotgun, pistol, crossbow, or bow and arrow or speargun, without good cause, shall raise a presumption of an attempt to kill deer or elk in violation of this section.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Pattarasok

3. “Every person in or on any such vehicle shall be deemed a principal in the second degree and subject to the same punishment as a principal in the first degree.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Pattarasok