Mantooth v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 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 5 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[a]s long as there is slight evidence of access, power, and intention to exercise control or dominion over the contraband, the question of fact regarding constructive possession remains within the domain of the trier of fact.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Jones v. State · 344 Ga. App. 7 - HARVEY v. the STATE.

2. “A finding of constructive possession must be based upon some connection between the defendant and the contraband other than spatial proximity. Evidence of mere presence at the scene of the crime, and nothing more to show participation of a defendant in the illegal act, is insufficient to support a conviction. Constructive possession ... may be proved by circumstantial evidence.”

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

3. “A person who, though not in actual possession, knowingly has both the power and the intention at a given time to exercise dominion or control over a thing is then in constructive possession of it.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 344 Ga. App. 7 - HARVEY v. the STATE.