Jefferson v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 60 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 66 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Soon after 4:00 p.m. on May 1, 1985 , Jefferson and co-worker Ed Taulbee quit work for the day, and went to Lake Allatoona in Taulbee’s car to do some fishing. Later that evening, Jefferson returned home, alone, in Taulbee’s car. A neighbor dropped by and observed clothes soaking in Jefferson’s bathtub and discovered that Jefferson’s wallet contained some $100 in cash, although he had not yet cashed his paycheck. The neighbor testified that Jefferson told him “his little fat buddy was dead.” Another neighbor testified that he took Jefferson to Lake Allatoona later that night, and that Jefferson disappeared into some woods and returned a few minutes later carrying a fishing pole and tackle box. Next, he took Jefferson to an automatic teller machine where Jefferson, asking whether it took “pictures,” put on a straw hat and sunglasses and attempted to make a cash withdrawal. Jefferson subsequently gave Taulbee’s bank card to a third neighbor and told her to get rid of it. It was recovered from the neighbor’s window air-conditioning unit. One the morning of May 2, 1985 , Taul-bee’s body was discovered lying face down in some woods near Lake Allatoo-na. A large log lay across his head, and two large wooden sticks lay nearby, one of which was shattered and had hair and blood on it. The victim’s pockets were empty except for his paycheck receipt. Jefferson admitted to the police that he owed the victim some money, and, although he denied killing him, he stated that “[he] did not nee”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 490 F. Supp. 2d 1261 - Jefferson v. Terry

2. “As we held in Devier v. State, 253 Ga. 604 (9) ( 323 SE2d 150 ) (1984), a prior crime may be proven in aggravation despite the lack of a conviction, so long as there has not been a previous acquittal. See Fugitt v. State, 256 Ga. 292 (1 d) ( 348 SE2d 451 ) (1986). [Jefferson v. State, 256 Ga. 821 , supra at (8 b).]”

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

3. “`determinations of juror bias cannot be reduced to question-and-answer sessions which obtain results in the manner of a catechism.' [Cit.] Often, the answers of a prospective juror will to some degree be contradictory. (Cit.)”

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