Scates v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

19 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 20 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Evidence of other offenses is admitted if it shows the conduct and feeling of the accused toward [the] victim ... or if it tends to prove any relevant element of the offense charged. Such evidence is permissible in cases where the motive, intent or knowledge of the accused is involved, or where the evidence is connected with or leads up to the offense for which the accused is on trial. Also, testimony of other crimes is admissible where the other crimes constitute a part of the general scheme of which the crime charged is a part.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Rose v. Com. · Commonwealth v. Minor

2. “Additionally, admission of evidence of other crimes is subject to the further requirement that the probative value of the evidence must outweigh any incidental prejudice to the defendant.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Pryor v. Com.

3. “such a concurrence of common features that the various acts are naturally to be explained as caused by a general plan of which they are the individual manifestations.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Scott v. Com.