Ellis v. Mullin’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

7 federal appellate ·

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

1. “He had a severe dissociative disorder in the past with psychogenic headaches, and may have been completely depersonalized at the time of the incident. At least he claimed repeatedly, emphatically, without changing his viewpoint and report that he completely blocked out and did not remember the detail of the shooting.... His thought content on the mental status 3 revealed he was hearing voices, felt that no one cares about him, he might as well do away with himself, and he cannot trust people anymore. He was suspicious and paranoid. He felt his body was frozen by the demons and spirits trying to take over his body and his spirit. He began feeling that even the doctors were against him and he began talking and thinking about it since December of 1985 .... .... Much, much improved spontaneously [upon discharge].... Only suicidal thoughts when he left. Competent in the psychological, legal, and sociological point of view at this time. He may have had history of schizophrenic or schizo-phreniform behavior in the past, in complete remission at the present time. He is definitely competent to stand trial at the present time, knowing right from wrong and capable of testifying in his defense.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Ellis v. Mullin

2. “We know that he was in the hospital. We know that he was in the psych ward, that he had voluntarily committed himself to that establishment. You have heard no evidence from any professional, nurse, doctor, of any sort, to say this man on that day did not know right from wrong.... I submit to you, folks, that you have heard absolutely no evidence, zero evidence, that this man did not know right from wrong on the day of that shooting.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Ellis v. Mullin

3. “Then the voice leaves him, and I guess he runs around the back of the house to see what is happening. Then the voice comes back again, and he runs over and he shoots Teresa three or four more times. The voice leaves. Then he sees Tameca; and the voice comes back, and he shoots Tameca. That’s the way his insanity is working, folks.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Ellis v. Mullin