Hall v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

71 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 71 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Defendant offered the testimony of several physicians who had more or less expert knowledge in mental diseases. Among them was Dr. Mayfield, who was permitted to testify that defendant was, in his opinion, born with a low mentality and a handicapped mind; that it reached a peak of development at a mental age of around six or seven years and then stopped; that he had been subnormal in comparison with other children of his age, always handicapped and inferior mentally. The doctor had previously testified that upon his interview with the defendant he manifested nothing that reflected insanity. He was ‘just mentally deficient.’ The question, therefore, propounded to Dr. Mayfield to which objection was interposed and sustained, as to whether or not the defendant in his opinion had a mind of about a ‘six or seven year old chap,’ was in fact answered in that portion of Dr. Mayfield’s testimony above-noted. “We may add here, however, our agreement with the authorities to the effect that criminal responsibility does not depend upon the mental age of the defendant, and that a comparison of an adult person with the mental age of a child is not the proper method of proof in cases of this character. Such was the holding of the Massachusetts Court in Commonwealth v. Trippi, 268 Mass. 227 , 167 N.E. 354 , and of the New Jersey Court in State v. Schilling, 95 N.J.L. 145 , 112 A. 400 . See also the cases found cited in the note to the text of 22 C.J.S. Criminal Law, § 58, p. 122. “We prefer ”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Seibold v. State · 53 Ala. App. 588 - Breen v. State

2. “"Dr. Partlow, a witness called by the defendant, was asked for the record of defendant when an inmate of the home for the feeble-minded. He had the record with him. Defendant offered to show Dr. Partlow's familiarity with the records, and that they were made in the regular course of business of the institution, and were so made under his supervision. The definition of those persons admissible to this institution is found in Sec. 236, Title 45, Code 1940, and includes idiots, imbeciles, morons and the like; and the following section makes provision for transfer of any patient therein to the authorities of the insane hospital when such patient shall become insane, violent or unmanageable. "Considering the wide latitude allowed upon the question of insanity, we are of the opinion Dr. Partlow should have been permitted to testify as to these records. The provisions of Sec. 415, Title 7, Code 1940, were given application to hospital records in Wilson v. State, 243 Ala. 1 , 8 So.2d 422 , as disclosed by the tenth headnote. Under this statute, as thus construed, there was error to reverse in the rejection of the evidence sought to be elicited from Dr. Partlow."”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 44 Ala. App. 229 - Ward v. State

3. ““The first and fundamental rule, then, [is] that any and all conduct of the person is admissible in evidence. There is no restriction as to the kind of conduct. There can be none; for if a specific act does not indicate insanity it may indicate sanity. It will certainly throw light one way or the other upon the issue. 'Upon this I believe that no difference of opinion will be found to exist,’ said Mr. Justice Patteson ..., ‘as to the principle on which such evidence is admissible: Every act of the party’s life is relevant to the issue.’ There can be no escape from this consequence. There is no distinction in kind (whatever there may be in degree) between one or another piece of conduct as evidence to be considered; some inference is always possible.””

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