State v. Watkins’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 federal appellate · 16 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 19 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[N]othing herein contained shall be construed to require any alteration or modification of the existing form of indictment for murder, but the jury before whom the offender is tried shall determine in their verdict whether the crime is murder in the first or second degree.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Perry · Hartman v. Lee

2. “[A] judge cannot compel a defendant against his will to plead not guilty and submit to a trial; for undoubtedly a prisoner of competent understanding, duly enlightened, has the right to plead guilty instead of denying the charge. Yet, in proportion to the gravity of the offense, the court should exercise caution in receiving this plea, and should see that he is properly advised as to the nature of his act and its consequences. This is a matter which is left largely to the good judgment and discretion of the court, which should be exercised so as to protect a defendant from an improvident plea and to prevent injustice.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Smith

3. “`It is settled law in this State that a plea of guilty, freely, understandingly, and voluntarily entered, is equivalent to a conviction of the offense charged.'”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 175 N.C. App. 234 - State v. Bradley