State v. Turner’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 117 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 120 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[T]he competency of a witness is a matter which rests in the sound discretion of the trial judge in the light of his examination and observation of the particular witness. Absent a showing that the ruling as to competency could not have been the result of a reasoned decision, the ruling must stand on appeal.”

   10 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 98 N.C. App. 23 - State v. Everett · State v. Jones

2. ““It is error for the judge, whether in his charge to the jury or at any other time during the course of the trial, by direct statement or otherwise, to intimate to the jury his own opinion concerning the sufficiency of the evidence to show the existence of a material fact, but such error is not cause for a new trial if it falls within the category of harmless, nonprejudicial error. The seriousness of the offense charged and the severity, of the potential penalty therefor do not constitute or affect the test to be applied in determining whether an error is prejudicial or nonprejudicial. The test is not the possibility of a different result upon another trial. The test is whether there is a reasonable possibility that, had the error in question not been committed, a different result would have been reached at the trial out of which the appeal arises.””

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Morgan · 130 N.C. App. 488 - State v. Waddell

3. ““. . . So, the main contention of the defendant is this: not merely that incompetent evidence was considered, but that no competent evidence was heard by the grand jury, and that for the latter reason the bill should have been quashed. “The cases to which we have referred are not authority for the defendant’s position. Nor are we inclined to accept his view, although it has the support of writers whose opinions are entitled to great respect. As Underhill remarked, Tt would be intolerable in practice to confine grand juries to the technical rules of evidence.’ Criminal Evidence (3 ed.) sec. 71. The suggested practice would hinder the trial and result in useless delay. . . .””

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