Graves v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

26 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 26 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Accordingly, while [the] aggravated assault [count] properly merged with malice murder as a matter of fact, see Culpepper v. State, 289 Ga. 736, 738 (2) (a) ( 715 SE2d 155 ) (2011), there w[as] no felony murder count[ ] into which the . . . [remaining] independent felon[y] [of armed robbery] could merge as a matter of law. Malcolm v. State, 263 Ga. 369 (5) ( 434 SE2d 479 ) (1993) (once a felony murder count has been vacated, the underlying felony cannot merge into the felony murder count); see also Leeks v. State, 296 Ga. 515 (7) ( 769 SE2d 296 ) (2015). Therefore, the trial court is required to vacate that portion of its sentencing order purporting to merge the . . . independent felon[y] [of armed robbery] and impose [a] proper sentence[ ] on th[at] count[ ].”

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

2. “As a general rule, [a] trial court’s denial of a motion for mistrial based on the improper admission of bad character evidence is reviewed for abuse of discretion by examining factors and circumstances, including the nature of the statement, the other evidence in the case, and the action taken by the court and counsel concerning the impropriety.”

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

3. “[I]n various contexts, we accept factual findings unless they are clearly erroneous and review a trial court's ultimate decision on the particular issue for abuse of discretion.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Advantage Behavioral Health Systems v. Eric Cleveland, as Administrator of the Estate of Nicholas Cleveland