State v. Williams’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

8 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 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"Since the Legislature is vested with the constitutional power to define crimes and fix punishments, this Court is concerned only with the constitutionality of the death penalty for aggravated rape. More specifically, we must determine whether the death penalty for such a crime is proscribed by the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. "The Eighth Amendment provides: "`Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.' "Cruel and unusual punishments are those that are barbarous extraordinary, or grossly disproportionate to the offense. In short, the constitutional prohibition is directed to punishments that shock the conscience of civilized men. * * * * * * "Aggravated rape is a grave offense. The authorization of capital punishment for rape, as we have observed, is not unusual in the United States. Such punishment is neither bizarre nor extraordinary. Nor do we appraise it as grossly disproportionate to the crime. * * *"”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 300 So. 2d 467 - State v. Selman

2. “Since the Legislature is vested with the constitutional power to define crimes and fix punishments, this Court is concerned only with the constitutionality of the death penalty for aggravated rape. More specifically, we must determine whether the death penalty for such a crime is proscribed by the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 300 So. 2d 467 - State v. Selman

3. ““* * ’ * [T]he questions and answers made it apparent that each of these nine jurors would have automatically voted against the imposition of capital punishment without regard to any evidence that might have developed at the trial of the case and that this attitude would have prevented them from making an impartial decision as to the defendant’s guilt.””

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