372 Pa. Super. 519 - Commonwealth v. Neely’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

13 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 13 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Evidence of good character is always admissible for the defendant in a criminal case; it is to be weighed and considered in connection with all other evidence in the cause, it may of itself, in some instances, create the reasonable doubt which would entitle the accused to an acquittal. The rule itself is not merely merciful. It is both reasonable and just. There may be cases in which, owing to the peculiar circumstances in which a man is placed, evidence of good character may be all he can offer in answer to a charge of crime. Of what avail is good character, which a man may have been a lifetime in acquiring, if it is to benefit him nothing in his hour of peril.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 422 Pa. Super. 543 - Commonwealth v. Glover

2. “In doing this we do not change the law in Pennsylvania, but rather we reaffirm the law as set forth by our Supreme Court.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 409 Pa. Super. 536 - Commonwealth v. Tippens