State v. Linder’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. “mother” of Roberts. 2 ; Under Minn. R.Crim. ■ P. 20.02, subds. 2, 4(b), the district court may appoint an examiner to issue an opinion as to “whether, because of mental illness or deficiency, the defendant, at the time of committing the alleged criminal act, was laboring under such a de-feet of reason as not to know the nature of the act or that it was wrong.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State of Minnesota v. Ishmael Roberts · State v. Bouwman

2. “What constitutes "mental illness" as a defense in a criminal case is one of the most complex, difficult, and troublesome questions of law and fact which the legislature and the courts must confront. The bench and bar have for years been struggling with the problem of defining a comprehensible and rational rule for the guidance of factfinders in such cases. Determining the criminal responsibility of psychopathic offenders often draws on the experience and training of the medical profession, the legal profession, sociologists, and theologians. It is an inexact science to say the least. To expect twelve laypersons, without any particular exposure to these disciplines to better understand, weigh, and assess conflicting testimony of so-called experts is to blind ourselves to reality. While members of the judiciary profess no prescience or infallibility in these fields, it is only reasonable to assume that trial judges by education and experience are more likely to have an understanding and grasp of what is relevant than do laypersons. [ Ibid. ]”

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

3. “(1) the victim had suffered multiple blows at the hands of defendant; (2) the victim’s blood was found in several rooms of her home; (3) the lead pipe used to inflict the blows was probably not already in the home but was brought in from outside; (4) the victim could be observed from the shed behind her home, and there was evidence that defendant had been in the shed; and (5) the home was the only one of six homes in the immediate area with but one occupant.”

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