Massey v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

4 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 4 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““It is the duty of the county attorney in his argument to the jury to confine : himself to the facts as shown by the evidence. But he has the right to draw his deductions and conclusions, and unless the statement or arguments are such that deprive a defendant of his substantial rights, or are such that would arouse passion and prejudice of the jury to the extent that they would be swayed from arriving at a just verdict, the judgment and sentence will not be set aside on appeal.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Young v. State · Hayes v. State

2. ““Why did Massey run? Because in my opinion he knew he had killed another man and was wanting to get as far away from there as he possibly could. “ * * * because in my opinion ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this defendant knew that he had killed, stabbed, slashed Dennis Potter and left him to die on the floor. “I will say this. I will say that Dennis Potter was murdered by Cecil Massey and I will say further that if this jury sees fit to give him the death penalty for doing it, that I sincerely feel you are perfectly justified in doing it. L6ok at the hands of Cecil Massey, smeared with blood of Dennis Potter! Why should I hesitate to say you were justified, when the rule is that whoever sheddeth man’s blood shall also by his own blood be shed.””

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