294 So. 2d 124 - State Ex Rel. Mitchell v. Walker’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

21 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 21 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[A] valid reason for declaring a mistrial must be predicated on either of two bases: (1) On some misfortune which, although the fault of neither party, renders continuation of the trial impossible or unreasonably prejudicial to the substantial interest of either the judicial process itself, the defendant, the state, or both, or (2) upon some unfair or wrongful tactic, action or conduct on the part of the defendant, by which a substantial interest in the state is unfairly frustrated or embarrassed.”

   5 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 459 So. 2d 479 - State v. Sly · 855 So. 2d 178 - Jackson v. State

2. “[Judicial discretion] is not a naked right to choose between alternatives. There must be a sound and logically valid reason for the choice made. If a trial court's exercise of discretion is upheld whichever choice is made merely because it is not shown to be wrong, and there is no valid reason to support the choice made, then the choice made may just as well have been decided by the toss of a coin. In such case there would be no certainty in the law and no guidance to bench or bar.”

   5 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Parce v. Byrd · 718 So. 2d 822 - Ferrer v. State

3. ““In a word, the statement was no more than a general denial of the relator’s criminality and it went no further than his Not Guilty plea itself.””

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