State v. Tolson’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

24 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 24 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““The State relied on State v. Damewood, 245 Kan. 676 , 783 P.2d 1249 (1989), in which the court described ‘modus operandi’ as the ‘general method used by a defendant to perpetrate similar but totally unrelated crimes.’ [Citation omitted.] Damewood’s method was to interest boys in his beekeeping, which allowed him to be alone with them so that he could sexually molest them. The court found no error in the admission of tire testimony of a young man who had been drawn into beekeeping by Damewood and then sexually abused several years before the victim of the charged crime became involved with Damewood. [Citation omitted.] “In Damewood , there was a method of operation, and it was so distinct as to be a ‘Signature.’ Damewood was being tried for arranging to spend time alone with a boy by involving the boy in his beekeeping activities and then sexually molesting him. Precisely the same pattern of conduct or method of operation was shown by the prior acts evidence to have been followed on a previous occasion. “This case does not present such a clear picture.” (Emphasis added.) Tolson, 274 Kan. at 563-64 .”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. State v. Prine