Barrett v. Com.’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

48 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 48 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““accompanied by acts of commission or omission of a wanton or willful nature, showing a reckless disregard or indifferent disregard of the rights of others, under circumstances reasonably calculated to produce injury, or which make it not improbable that injury will be occasioned, and the offender knows, or is charged with the knowledge of, the probable result of [her] acts.””

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 47 Va. App. 34 - Morris v. Commonwealth · 54 Va. App. 577 - Noakes v. Commonwealth

2. “Any parent, guardian or other person responsible for the care of a child under the age of 18 whose willful act or omission in the care of such child was so gross, wanton and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 53 Va. App. 683 - Shanklin v. Commonwealth · 49 Va. App. 241 - Flowers v. Commonwealth

3. “[t]he word [willful] often denotes an act which is intentional, or knowing, or voluntary, as distinguished from accidental. But when used in a criminal statute it generally means an act done with a bad purpose; without justifiable excuse; stubbornly, obstinately, perversely[.] The word is also employed to characterize a thing done without ground for believing it is lawful.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Nicholas David Pelloni v. Commonwealth of Virginia · 64 Va. App. 468 - Alexy J. Abdo, a/k/a Alexi J. Abdo v. Commonwealth of Virginia