State v. Paulson’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

35 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 35 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[B]y restricting the rule to evidence which will cause “unfair prejudice” the draftsmen meant to caution courts that mere prejudicial effect is not a sufficient reason to refuse admission. Probative evidence will frequently be prejudicial to a party, but that does not mean that it will cause the fact finder to ground a decision on an emotional basis. Thus, evidence which tends to horrify, evoke sympathy or increase a desire to punish due to a prior act of a party and whose probative value is slight may be properly excluded. (Footnotes omitted.) (Emphasis supplied.)”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Martin · State v. McKnight

2. ““The proper standard of review for sufficiency of the evidence in a criminal case is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Here, one doctor and one paramedic testified that Hart’s injuries were life-threatening. The testimony on which Devlin relies does not even address this issue. Based on this evidence, we believe a rational trier of fact could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that Devlin inflicted serious bodily injury on Hart.”

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

3. “horrify, evoke sympathy or increase a desire to punish and whose probative value is slight.”

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