State v. Heidelberger’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

12 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 12 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Generally, if the defendant’s credibility is the central issue in the case — that is, if the issue for the jury narrows to a choice between defendant’s credibility and that of one other person — then a greater case can be made for admitting the impeachment evidence because the need for the evidence is greater. * * * In view of appellant’s claim that the victim fabricated her story * * *, the jury would have had to decide whether to believe appellant’s testimony or the complainant’s. Thus, there was a strong need for evidence of the prior convictions for impeachment purposes.”

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

2. “a cautionary instruction would presumably have been given which directs the jury to consider the prior conviction only as it relates to defendant’s credibility. See, CRIM JIG 3.12. Such an instruction adequately protects defendant against the possibility that the jury would convict him on the basis of his character rather than his guilt.”

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

3. “In reviewing a claim of insufficiency of the evidence, an appellate court is limited to ascertaining whether, given the facts in the record and the legitimate inferences that can be drawn from those facts, a jury could reasonably conclude that the defendant was guilty of the offense charged.”

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