Du v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

19 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. “presupposes 'that, for some decisions, conscientious jurists could reach different conclusions based on exactly the same facts-yet still remain entirely reasonable.' " Du v. Commonwealth , 292 Va. 555 , 564, 790 S.E.2d 493 , 499 (2016) (citation omitted). "This bell-shaped curve of reasonability governing our appellate review rests on the venerable belief that the judge closest to the contest is the judge best able to discern where the equities lie.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. A.R.A. v. Commonwealth · Commonwealth v. Perkins (ORDER)

2. “[O]ur appellate review 'is not limited to the evidence mentioned by a party in trial argument or by the trial court in its ruling.'”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Kim v. Commonwealth · Commonwealth v. White

3. “the legislature [does] not in fact intend that its express mention of one thing should operate as an exclusion of all others”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. City of Alexandria v. State Corporation Commission