Douglas v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

20 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 22 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “(1) killed another without malice and unintentionally, but while “engaged in the commission of some unlawful act not amounting to a felony and not naturally tending to cause death or great bodily harm”; or (2) killed another without malice and unintentionally, but while “acting lawfully with reckless disregard of the safety of others.””

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

2. “Under the theory of defense of others, one is not guilty of taking the life of an assailant who assaults a friend, relative, or bystander if that friend, relative, or bystander would likewise have the right to take the life of the assailant in self-defense.”

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

3. “the defendant ... has the right to use such necessary force as required for his complete protection from loss of life or serious bodily harm and cannot be limited to the degree or quantity of attacking opposing force.” Id. The supreme court found that the”

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