Thomas v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

36 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 36 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[I]t is the ease of seating the jury that is the relevant factor, not the ultimate result of that process. Never has this Court held the impartiality of the seated jury to be a factor in considering whether a motion for a change of venue should be granted, much less found it dispositive.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Riner v. Com. · 40 Va. App. 233 - Eugene Harry Proctor, III v. Commonwealth

2. “A potential juror who has knowledge of the case, even if such person has formed an opinion about the case, is entitled to sit on the jury if that opinion can be set aside.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Teleguz v. Com. · 40 Va. App. 440 - Riner v. Commonwealth

3. “[T]he statutes do not limit evidence of victim impact to that received from the victim’s family members. Rather, the circumstances of the individual ease will dictate what evidence will be necessary and relevant, and from what sources it may be drawn. In a capital murder trial, as in any other criminal proceeding, the determination of the admissibility of relevant evidence is within the sound discretion of the trial court subject to the test of abuse of that discretion.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 45 Va. App. 254 - Rock v. Commonwealth