Brittingham v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

32 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 32 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “As is evident from our decision in this case, it is usually preferable to determine initially whether the activity complained of comports with the requirements of this State’s nonconstitutional law, and then, only if the court finds that it so complies, does it become necessary to reach the issue of whether any constitutional stricture prohibits the conduct in question. We in no way attempt in this case to evaluate whether federal or Maryland constitutional law establishes the same voluntariness test as that enunciated in this opinion. We rest our decision solely on Maryland nonconstitutional law because of the well-settled principle “that courts should not decide constitutional issues unnecessarily.” ... Whether United States and Maryland constitutional strictures are similar to each other or similar to our nonconstitutional requirements is irrelevant, since the activity complained of here does not satisfy the requirements of this State’s non-constitutional law.”

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

2. “In light of the motion to suppress and the pre-trial ruling that the statement was voluntary, this general objection was sufficient to preserve all grounds for review in accordance with then Maryland Rule 522(d) [4-323(a) ] and 736 a. [4-256(a) and (b)].”

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