Widner v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

23 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 23 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[a] sentence which is not otherwise cruel and unusual does not become so simply because it is mandatory. Legislative enactments constitute the clearest and most objective evidence of how contemporary society views a particular punishment. As a result, the issue of punishment is generally one for the legislative branch, and legislative discretion is deferred to unless the sentence imposed shocks the conscience.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. PATTERSON v. the STATE. · Adams v. State

2. “(M)aking (a) lesser penalty applicable to offenses committed prior to the enactment of the legislation (creating the lesser penalty) is contrary to the judicial interpretation of the (laws) of this State under which the penalty for a criminal offense relates only to those offenses committed when and after such legislation becomes effective.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Humphrey v. Wilson

3. “Punishment for a crime will be deemed to be unconstitutionally excessive if it (1) makes no measurable contribution to acceptable goals of punishment and hence is nothing more than the purposeless and needless imposition of pain and suffering; or (2) is grossly out of proportion to the severity of the crime.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. PATTERSON v. the STATE.