McGowan v. Com.’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

6 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 6 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[T]he test as to whether a matter is material or collateral, in the matter of impeachment of a witness, is whether ... the cross-examining party would be entitled to prove it in support of his ease. Therefore, when the circumstances [of the other event] have no intimate connection with the main fact; if they constitute no link in the chain of evidence ... they ought to be excluded. Evidence ... which cannot be used for any purpose other than for impeachment ... is certainly collateral to the main issue.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Charles Albert Massey, III v. Commonwealth of Virginia

2. ““Evidence that shows or tends to show a defendant has committed a prior crime generally is inadmissible to prove the crime charged. Such evidence implicating an accused in other crimes unrelated to the charged offense is inadmissible because it may confuse the issues being tried and cause undue prejudice to the defendant.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 59 Va. App. 435 - Brian Heath Doss v. Commonwealth of Virginia