Rowland v. Com.’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

9 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 9 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[T]he evidence shows that the elements of statutory burglary were complete before Rowland used or displayed a firearm. There is no evidence that Rowland used or displayed the firearm when gaining entry to the restaurant. Neither witness observed Rowland’s entry. The first time either of the witnesses noticed Rowland was when [the employee in the kitchen] turned around to find Rowland pointing a gun at him. By that time, Rowland had already entered the restaurant with the intent to commit robbery therein. The burglary had been completed. The evidence is insufficient to support a conviction of use or display of a firearm during the commission of the burglary.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Dijon Allen Smith v. Commonwealth of Virginia