State v. Stephens’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 36 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 38 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “'[w]hether to allow a challenge for cause in jury selection is . . . ordinarily left to the sound discretion of the trial court which will not be reversed on appeal except for abuse of discretion.'”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Morgan · State v. Greene

2. “At trial, the State presented evidence tending to show that on the evening of 20 January 1995, defendant and his accomplice, William Barrow, had dinner together and shared a bottle of Ever-clear and some whisky. The following morning, at approximately 2:00 a.m., defendant and Barrow drove to the Johnston County Grill Road home of Lynn Wright, a reputed drug dealer. Upon arrival, defendant and Barrow went straight to Wright’s bedroom and shot him six times, killing him. Defendant and Barrow then separated in the house, and Barrow walked onto the porch and shot Antwon Jenkins in the head, killing him. Barrow then attempted to kill James White, but the bullet only grazed the side of White’s face. Defendant entered the living room and attempted to shoot eighty-three-year-old Kenneth Farmer in the head, but the shot only hit Farmer in the arm as he threw his hand up. Defendant next tried to shoot John Wright but apparently ran out of bullets. Defendant and Barrow then left the Grill Road home but returned shortly thereafter. At this time, defendant shot and killed Michael Kent Jones, and Barrow seriously injured June Bates with gunshot wounds to her back and arm. Bates escaped and called for help from a nearby house. When deputies arrived at the Grill Road home on 21 January 1995, they found a black man lying on the porch, dying from gunshot wounds to his head. The officers found four fired cartridge cases, caliber 38 Special, in a water basin in the front room. In the first bedro”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Stephens v. Branker

3. “The Court: Mrs. Davenport, I just want to get it straight in my mind. What I understand you saying is that— A. Uh-huh. The Court: —intellectually you can go through the process. A. Uh-huh. The Court: And that you agree with the process and you are having doubts about whether you can participate in the process, is that correct? A. Yes. The Court: Now, you are the only judge that we’ve got as far as determining whether you can participate in the process or not. It would not be fair to the State of North Carolina, it would not be fair to the defendant for you not to be able to participate fully in the process— A. Right. The Court: —and be a fair and impartial juror for both the State of North Carolina and to [defendant]. A. That’s right. The Court: And so what I want to know is as best you can right now to tell me yes or no whether or not you feel that you can participate in this particular trial as a juror and give fair consideration to everything that is presented as you sit right now. A. I would say no to be fair to everyone to start out. The Court: Well, this Court is going to find that the juror’s answers on voir dire concerning her attitude toward the death penalty shows considered contextually that her views on capital punishment would prevent or substantially impair the performance of her duties as a juror in accordance with her instructions and oath and, therefore, the challenge by the State is hereby allowed.”

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