State v. Patterson’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

12 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 13 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Q. The defendant in this case is black. The deceased, I understand, is white. Does the fact that the defendant is black or of another race, would that prevent you from giving him a fair trial? A. No. Q. Would the fact that he was black in anyway influence your thinking, one way or the other? A. No. Q. Could you give him the same trial, whether he is black or whether he's white? Would it make any difference? A. No. sir. None. Q. Do you have any feelings based on your — have you worked with black people? A. Yes, sir. I do. Q. Do you have any problems working with blacks? A. None, whatsoever. Q. Do you have any friends that are black? A. Yes. I do. Q. Are you aware or conscious of being biased or prejudiced based on race? A. No, sir. I don't. Q. In your opinion, does race have anything to do with what your verdict would be in this case? A. No. Q. Are you aware in the past of any racial prejudice, either on your own part or on the part of other white people toward blacks, in your community or in your work? A. Of course, you know there is prejudice everywhere you go but I am not really prejudiced one way or the other. Q. All right. Do you participate in any organizations, clubs or volunteer organizations, church, what have you, where black people also participate on a social basis? A. No, sir. Q. All right. If you were selected as a juror in this case, Mr. O'Neal, can you assure the Court and the parties that you would set aside or work at setting aside any possible racial attitud”

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

2. “And you have a difficult decision. All the juries that sit in death penalty cases have that difficult adult decision to make, to reach down inside. But that's the way it is. You know, when you become seventeen or eighteen years old, you no longer act in your childish ways and make a childish decision. You are responsible adults; you are responsible for your actions. Because by that time you have the right to vote, to be taken into the Army. You have got to make the responsible decisions. And I know you will do that. You know sometimes it is easy to take the easy way out, to be a little permissive, cop out. Just think we wouldn't be here today if our citizens had taken the easy way out, if there had been that submissive attitude, that copping out, we wouldn't have a United States; we wouldn't have a South Carolina; we wouldn't have a Lexington County. So I thank you for being responsible citizens.”

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

3. “We again remind solicitors their final argument in the penalty phase of a capital trial must be carefully tailored so as not to appeal to the personal bias of a juror, nor calculated to arouse his passion or prejudice. State v. Bell , [ 293 S.C. 391 ], 360 S.E. (2d) 706 (S.C. 1987). The argument must be confined to the record and its reasonable inferences and must focus on the characteristics of the defendant and the nature of the crime. See State v. Bell; State v. Smart , 278 S.C. 515 , 299 S.E. (2d) 686 (1982); State v. Linder , 276 S.C. 304 , 278 S.E. (2d) 335 (1981). This Court's decisions condemning arguments by solicitors are so numerous, the principle is elementary. Yet, solicitors continue to ignore the law as set forth by this and higher courts. We hope the dictates of this opinion may finally be heard by the solicitors of this State.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. State v. Patterson