State v. Cole’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

8 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 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[a] presentment is a written accusation by a grand jury, made on its own motion and filed with a superior court, charging a person . . . with the commission of one or more criminal offenses. A presentment does not institute criminal proceedings against any person, but the district attorney is obligated to investigate the factual background of every presentment returned in his district and to submit bills of indictment to the grand jury dealing with the subject matter of any presentments when it is appropriate to do so.”

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

2. “It is well established that in order for a defendant to be punished for criminal conduct, his actions must fall plainly within the prohibition of the statute which defines the crime. . . . Statutes which define criminal conduct may not be extended by mere intendment.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 75 N.C. App. 173 - State v. Lilly