338 Pa. Super. 580 - Commonwealth v. Murray’s Empirical Analysis
1985
Citation profile
11
cited by 11 later decisions
1
states following
February 1988
most recently cited
11 state decisions
Relationships
Relies on Commonwealth Ex Rel. Washington v. Maroney · Commonwealth v. Pettus · Commonwealth v. Miller · Commonwealth v. Mabie · Commonwealth v. Anderson
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 11 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“It has also been alleged that trial counsel was ineffective “for failing to interview and call certain witnesses at trial who would have impeached the victim’s credibility.” This is inadequate. Appellant has neither identified the witnesses nor disclosed the nature of their contribution to the fact finding process. Counsel will not be deemed ineffective in a vacuum. See: Commonwealth v. Anderson, 501 Pa. 275, 287 , 461 A.2d 208, 214 (1983) (“appellant must allege more than a bare assertion that counsel failed to interview ‘X, Y or Z’ and their testimony would have been helpful, for claims of ineffectiveness cannot be abstractly reviewed, in a vacuum.”); Commonwealth v. Guest, 500 Pa. 393, 398 , 456 A.2d 1345, 1348 (1983) (“appellant did not make any offer of proof as to the nature of the [uncalled witness’] testimony, nor does the record indicate in what respect the [witness’] testimony could have advanced appellant’s cause. In these circumstances, counsel’s failure to call the [witness] cannot be deemed to be ineffective assistance.”); Commonwealth v. Murray, 338 Pa.Super. 580, 585 , 488 A.2d 45, 47 (1985) (“where a defendant alleges that his attorney was ineffective in failing to investigate, interview and/or call witnesses in his defense, there must be some demonstration that their testimony would be helpful.”); Commonwealth v. Whyatt, 327 Pa.Super. 491, 498 , 476 A.2d 374, 377 (1984) (“there must be some showing that the witnesses not interviewed were equipped with inform”
1 later decision quote this exact passage
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.