State v. Ford’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

23 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 23 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “In the present case, the fact that Ford and Brown had previously robbed or attempted to rob Wells was a necessary element in understanding their motive and intent when they accosted Wells on December 17, 1995. The statement that Wells should be prepared to give money to the defendants each time he saw them was, in particular, so closely related to the criminal conspiracy charged that proof of the statement tends to establish the existence of a common plan and, thus, of the conspiracy. The previous robbery and attempted robbery also were so similar to the incident for which Ford and Brown were charged that they tend to establish both the existence of a common plan and the fact that the plan was being carried out. Cf. State v. Raffaldt, 318 S.C. 110 , 456 S.E.2d 390 (1995)(holding evidence of marijuana dealing by the defendant in prosecution for trafficking in cocaine was admissible as indicative of a common scheme or plan); State v. Moultrie, 316 S.C. at 555, 451 S.E.2d at 39 (holding evidence of defendant's prior drug deals was admissible to prove existence and nature of marijuana trafficking scheme).”

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

2. “Here, [the] testimony concerning Aiken's other bad acts was probative on the issue of whether all of the robberies were part of a common scheme or plan. The evidence showed all of the robberies took place in the same month in the same part of Orangeburg, all either on or near the Highway Twenty-One bypass. Additionally, each robbery was perpetrated by a young, black gunman with his face concealed. ....... We therefore hold the trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the testimony of Aiken's participation in the other robberies.”

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

3. “Unfair prejudice does not mean the damage to a defendant's case that results from the legitimate probative force of the evidence; rather it refers to evidence which tends to suggest decision on an improper basis.”

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