Spears v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

54 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 54 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “(1) It is an affirmative defense that the defendant was entrapped into committing an offense. (2) Entrapment occurs when a law enforcement officer or any person acting in cooperation with him, induces the commission of an offense by using persuasion or other means likely to cause normally law-abiding persons to commit the offense. Conduct merely affording a person an opportunity to commit an offense does not constitute an entrapment.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Riddling v. State · Mullins v. State

2. “Primary importance is accorded to the conduct of a law enforcement officer, or the person acting in cooperation with him. . . . Any evidence having any tendency to make the existence of entrapment more probable is admissible. . . . The accused should be allowed a reasonable latitude in presenting whatever facts and circumstances he claims constitute an entrapment, subject to ordinary rules of admissibility.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Riddling v. State · Walls v. State

3. “[A] defendant’s conduct and predisposition, both prior to and concurrent with, the transactions forming the basis of the charges are still material and relevant, on the question [of] whether the government agents only afforded the opportunity to commit the offenses with which he is charged.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Baker v. State · Webber v. State