Robinson v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 district · 2 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 3 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “On the afternoon of July 22, 2006, [petitioner] and co-defendant Timothy Austin (“Austin”) drove from Philadelphia to Claymont to meet with the victim Kevin Rafferty (“Rafferty”) in the parking lot of the Brookview Apartments. Austin and Rafferty were acquaintances. They had previously arranged the meeting by telephone. Austin was to buy two ounces of marijuana from Rafferty for $500. Accompanying Rafferty to the rendezvous was Rafferty’s friend, William Witts (‘Witts”). Rafferty was a self-employed electrician, and Witts worked for him as an assistant. The two lived together in Leedom Estates. At trial, Witts testified that Rafferty regularly sold marijuana to supplement his income. On the day of the murder, Rafferty woke Witts up at about noon and told him they were going to a party, but first had to make a stop in Clay-mont. The two then drove to Claymont and parked in the parking lot of the Brookview Apartments. Rafferty first met with someone named Chuck, who left as Austin arrived in a white Chevrolet Lumina. Austin was in the front passenger’s seat. Witts had met Austin once before and knew him as “Ghost.” Austin walked over to Rafferty’s vehicle, a Range Rover, and got in the back seat, counted out some money and then said his “brother” had more money. Austin walked back to the Lumina and returned with [petitioner], .who climbed into the back seat of the Land Rover behind Witts. Austin and Rafferty then walked around to the back of the Land Rover to retrieve the marij”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Robinson v. Pierce

2. “We have repeatedly held that strategic trial decisions by defense counsel will not be reviewed in a direct appeal for plain error.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. People v. Bondsteel