State v. Hobbs’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

15 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 15 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “You have heard evidence of the (character of the defendant) (character of the defendant for a particular trait, more specifically ____) in an effort to show that the defendant likely acted in keeping with such character or trait at pertinent times or with reference to issues in this case. This evidence has been offered in the form of (opinion of (an)other witnesse(s)), (reputation) (specific instances of conduct of the defendant showing such trait). You should consider any such evidence along with all the other evidence in deciding whether or not you have a reasonable doubt about the guilt of the defendant.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 350 Ga. App. 244 - Montgomery v. State

2. “[W]hen instructing on good character, the trial court is expected to tell the jury that good character is a substantive fact which may create reasonable doubt leading to an acquittal.”

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

3. “[g]ood character is a substantive fact at trial, and can by itself create a reasonable doubt as to a defendant's guilt and lead to an acquittal.”

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