State v. Williamson’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

23 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 25 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““In State v. Simpson, 233 N.C. 438, 442 , 64 S.E.2d 568 , [571 (1951)], this Court said: “It can make no difference in what way or manner or when the opinion of the judge is conveyed to the jury, whether directly or indirectly, by comment on the testimony of a witness, by arraying the evidence unequally in the charge, by imbalancing the contentions of the parties, by the choice of language in stating the contentions, or by the general tone and tenor of the trial. . . . ‘The slightest intimation from a judge as to the strength of the evidence or as to the credibility of a witness will always have great weight with the jury, and, therefore, we must be careful to see that neither party is unduly prejudiced by an expression from the bench which is likely to prevent a fair and impartial trial.’ — Walker, J. in [State] v. Ownby, 146 N.C. 677 , [678-79,] 61 S.E. 630 [, 630 (1908)].””

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

2. “Whether the conduct or the language of the judge amounts to an expression of his opinion on the facts is to be determined by its probable meaning to the jury. . . .”

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

3. “declare and explain the law arising on the evidence given in the case”

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