279 Pa. Super. 57 - Commonwealth v. Madronal’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. “In order to effect its role as “servant of the law,” the Commonwealth has a legitimate and compelling interest in presenting its argument and evidence and examining appellee’s witnesses and evidence in a post-conviction hearing. When, as here, the court proceeds in an ex parte fashion, the Commonwealth is precluded from effectively discharging its duties ... So that where, as in this case, the petition was granted, the reasoning in Commonwealth v. Zaffina, supra, applies with equal force to the Commonwealth so that absence of a hearing as required by the Post Conviction Hearing Act is a clear detriment to the Commonwealth in its performance as a “servant of the law.” , Madronal, supra, 279 Pa.Superior Ct. at 62, 420 A.2d at 744 .”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 322 Pa. Super. 380 - Commonwealth v. Wells