McHugh v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

35 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 35 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Rice, C.J., in McHugh v. State, 31 Ala. 317, 320 (1858): In considering the various modes by which the credit of a witness may be assailed, Courts must observe the distinction between an attack upon his general credit, and an attack upon his credit in the particular case. Particular facts cannot be given in evidence to impeach his general [i.e., moral character] credit only, but may be to affect his particular credit, that is, his credit [due to bias or interest] in the particular cause. Thus the general credit of a witness for the prosecution may be unassailable; he may be hostile to the prisoner, and on cross examination may deny that he is so; in such case, who can doubt the right of the prisoner to prove the hostility?”

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

2. ““ * * * he may be hostile to the prisoner, and on cross-examination may deny that he is so; in such case, who can doubt the right of the prisoner to prove the hostility?””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 52 Ala. App. 321 - McMULLIAN v. State