Lang v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 1 district · 57 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 62 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “It is not indispensable that the penetration be proved by the testimony of the prosecutrix; it may be established by circumstantial evidence.”

   5 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 999 So. 2d 1287 - Moton v. State · Government of the Virgin Islands v. Morris

2. “"We recognize that there must be an end to litigation, and a judgment once solemnly entered must not be lightly opened or vacated, and never except for cogent reasons. Such a petition should be confined to the narrowest limits compatible with justice; it will be sustained only if the newly discovered evidence is of such nature that it would be practically conclusive that it would cause a different result; it will not be sustained if the petitioner or his attorney knew of the existence of such evidence at the time of the trial, or could have discovered it by the exercise of due diligence; it will not be sustained if the newly discovered evidence is merely cumulative, or additional to that adduced at the trial; it will not be sustained if the newly discovered evidence merely tends to impeach other testimony offered at the trial; and it must be filed as soon as reasonably practical after the discovery of the new evidence." 230 Miss. 147 at 172 , 92 So.2d 670 at 675-676 (1957).”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. Summerville v. Cook · 359 So. 2d 1371 - Johnson v. State

3. ““The failure of the defendant’s fingerprints to conform to those prints which were taken from the window did not necessarily create a reasonable doubt as to his guilt. The assailant had represented to his victim that he had a ‘buddy’ with him. It is not unreasonable that the original motive was burglary or rape, or both, in which he actually had an accomplice. Mrs. Dreding’s billfold was taken from the house, and was later found under a truck near the Masonite plant. The prints, which were lifted from the window, could he those of such accomplice, in which event they obviously would not have matched those of the defendant. It is also not unreasonable that the accomplice, if there was one, effected an entrace into the apartment through the window, and then let the assailant in through the door. In that event, of course, no prints of the assailant would have been left on the window. It is apparent that the jury was well warranted in finding that the fingerprint evidence was of no actual value whatever.””

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