259 Pa. Super. 293 - Commonwealth v. Wright’s Empirical Analysis
1978
Citation profile
35
cited by 35 later decisions
1
states following
October 1989
most recently cited
35 state decisions
Relationships
Relies on Commonwealth v. Wable · Commonwealth v. Peterson · Commonwealth v. Burdell · Commonwealth v. Ulatoski · 179 Pa. Super. 328 - Commonwealth v. Boulden
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.
“"`One of our most fundamental and prized principles in the administration of criminal law is that a distinct crime, except under certain special circumstances, cannot be given in evidence against a defendant who is being tried for another crime. This is because the fact that a person has committed one offense is not proof that he has committed another and because the effect of such testimony upon a jury is nevertheless bound to create prejudice and an emotional reaction on their part against the defendant'. Commonwealth v. Burdell, 380 Pa. 43, 47 , 110 A.2d 193, 195 (1955). See also Commonwealth v. Peterson, 453 Pa. 187 , 307 A.2d 264 (1973); Commonwealth v. Boulden, 179 Pa.Super. 328 , 116 A.2d 867 (1955); See, generally, McCormick on Evidence, § 190 at 447-454 (2nd Ed. 1972). Special circumstances justifying exceptions to the general rule exist when the evidence of other crimes `tends to prove (1) motive; (2) intent; (3) absence of mistake or accident; (4) a common scheme, plan or design embracing commission of two or more crimes so related to each other that proof of one tends to prove the others; or (5) to establish the identity of the person charged with the commission of the crime on trial in other words, where there is such a logical connection between the crimes that proof of one will naturally tend to show that the accused is the person who committed the other.' Commonwealth v. Peterson, supra, 453 Pa. at 197-198 , 307 A.2d 269 . See also Commonwealth v. Wable, 382”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.