Taylor v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 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 2 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “If there were no other witnesses, it is probable that the Weathersby rule, hereinabove stated, would entitle appellant to a reversal. But there were two other witnesses in a nearby field who contradicted the version of appellant and his wife. These witnesses did not see what happened because, they said, their view was obstructed by a house. One of them testified that she heard appellant call Eley, the deceased, "a black son-of-a-bitch" and then heard appellant say "speak to me, I ain't done nothing to you, I will shoot your dam brains out," and about that time heard a shot. This witness then testified she went over to where the deceased was lying mortally wounded. Another witness working in the field testified to substantially the same facts. Of course, those witnesses substantially contradicted appellant's version in material particulars and authorized the jury to disbelieve all or any part of the testimony of appellant and his witnesses.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 481 So. 2d 312 - Ruffin v. State

2. “Where the defendant or the defendant's witnesses are the only eyewitness to the homicide, their version, if reasonable, must be accepted as true, unless substantially contradicted in material particulars by a credible witness or witnesses for the state, or by the physical facts or by facts of common knowledge.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 481 So. 2d 312 - Ruffin v. State