Lawrence v. Com.’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

13 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 13 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “did not have an adequate factual foundation to the extent it was dependent upon assuming the truth of the hearsay allegations concerning Lawrence’s past sexual misconduct. Dr. Gravers’ opinions, which were dependent upon the truth of hearsay allegations unsupported by evidence properly presented at trial, were speculative and unreliable as a matter of law and should not have been admitted into evidence.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Reed · Boyce v. Com.

2. “Dr. Gravers also stated that, while her diagnosis of paraphilia, not otherwise specified, was primarily based on Lawrence’s two convictions, her conclusion that Lawrence had an antisocial personality disorder, not otherwise specified, depended on the allegations in the police reports and Lawrence’s pattern of antisocial behavior, as shown through those allegations.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Reed

3. “However, a trial court has no discretion to admit clearly inadmissible evidence because admissibility of evidence depends not upon the discretion of the court but upon sound legal principles. The converse is likewise true because admissibility of evidence is always governed by legal principles.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Ruhlin v. Samaan