Brown v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 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 5 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““You are further charged, however, that if you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, on or about the 20th day of October, 1964, unlawfully shot and killed Joyce Jones by then and there shooting her with a gun, as charged by the indictment herein, but you have a reasonable doubt as to whether he did so (if he did) with malice aforethought, then you will resolve such doubt, if any, in favor of the defendant and next consider whether this defendant be guilty of negligent homicide in the second degree.” (Here follows the definition.) “Now, therefore, if you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Samuel Lewis Sykes, heretofore on or about the 20th day of October, A.D. 1964, in Harris County, Texas, was then and there engaged in the performance of an unlawful act, to-wit, carrying a pistol on or about his person in the County and State aforesaid, and did then and there while so engaged, by negligence and carelessness cause the death of Joyce Jones, by then and there negligently causing and permitting said pistol (gun) to discharge a bullet, which then and there struck the body of the said Joyce Jones, and from which injuries from said pistol the said Joyce Jones then and there died; and that at the time said pistol was discharged, the defendant had no apparent intention to kill the said Joyce Jones, and you further find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, that at the time said pistol was discharged, there w”

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