29 Va. App. 745 - Powell v. Commonwealth’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. “The record contains no [contemporaneous] orders or docket entries explaining the reason for the delay ... or supporting the trial judge's finding that the ... delay was attributable to [the accused]. No orders were entered granting continuances or showing why the case was not scheduled for trial.... The testimony of witnesses cannot stand in lieu of findings and rulings of the trial judge entered of record. To do so would diminish the sanctity of the court's records. The record of proceedings in a court of record cannot be left to the vagaries of a swearing contest between witnesses. Such is an insufficient basis to establish why delay occurred which prevented a criminal defendant from receiving a speedy trial.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 33 Va. App. 230 - Jefferson v. Commonwealth

2. “2. By the witnesses for the Commonwealth being enticed or kept away, or prevented from attending by sickness or accident; [or] # ‡ # 4. By continuance granted on the motion of the accused or his counsel, or by concurrence of the accused or his counsel in such a motion by the attorney for the Commonwealth, or by the failure of the accused or his counsel to make a timely objection to such a motion by the attorney for the Commonwealth ... [.]”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 65 Va. App. 80 - Andrew Wallace v. Commonwealth of Virginia