Cobb v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

49 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 49 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “admitted to shooting the unarmed victim once in the back causing paralysis and shooting the victim a second time while he was incapable of moving or causing harm to appellant, it is clear that a justification defense is inconsistent with the 'recklessly causing' element found in the offense of manslaughter. Thus, there was no rational basis for giving the manslaughter instruction and the trial court did not err.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Schnarr v. State · Harshaw v. State

2. “It is reversible error to refuse to give an instruction on a lesser included offense when the instruction is supported by even the slightest evidence. Brown v. State, 325 Ark. 504 , 929 S.W.2d 146 (1996); Rainey v. State, 310 Ark. 419 , 837 S.W.2d 453 (1992); Robinson v. State, 269 Ark. 90 , 598 S.W.2d 421 (1980). We will affirm a trial court’s decision to exclude an instruction on a lesser included offense only if there is no rational basis for giving the instruction. Brown v. State, supra; Sanders v. State, 305 Ark. 112 , 805 S.W.2d 953 (1991). Henson v. State, 296 Ark. 472 , 757 S.W.2d 560 (1988).”

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

3. “recklessly causes the death of another person[.]”

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