Carroll v. Com.’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

14 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 14 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Warren believes that the acceptance of an Alford plea is an assurance that a defendant will not have to admit guilt during either conviction or punishment. He is wrong. He can maintain his innocence at the drug store, the grocery store and any other public place he desires. But, when in the private setting of sex offender counseling that is ordered as a condition of probation, and his admission is necessary for rehabilitation, he must admit responsibility for his conduct.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Arthur Amil Zebbs v. Commonwealth of Virginia

2. “Under a heading entitled 'Assignments of Error,’ the petition [for appeal] shall list, clearly and concisely and without extraneous argument, the specific errors in the rulings below upon which the party intends to rely.” Rule 5A: 12(c)(1). “Only assignments of error assigned in the petition for appeal will be noticed by this Court.” Rule 5A:12(c)(l)(i). The purpose of the assignments of error presented to this Court is to”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 60 Va. App. 60 - Austin v. Commonwealth

3. “A defendant’s protestations of innocence under an Alford plea extend only to the plea itself.... ... Whatever the reason for entering an Alford plea, the fact remains that when a defendant enters such a plea, he becomes a convicted sex offender and is treated no differently than he would be had he gone to trial and been convicted by a jury.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Arthur Amil Zebbs v. Commonwealth of Virginia