Baker v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

7 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 7 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““When oral explanations are made by the court which do not materially alter the written instructions, and which have no tendency to confuse the jury, the verdict will not be disturbed.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Claborn v. State · Rodgers v. State

2. ““A study of the instructions as a whole indicate that the accused in the instant case was not prejudiced by the court’s statements to the jury, and although we frown on the giving of any statement by the court and have held that instructions should be in writing, we are of the opinion that the above quoted statement is an ‘explanation’, and therefore, we will abide by the rule as set forth in Coatney v. State, 52 Okl.Cr. 300 , 2 P.2d 604 : ‘Where oral explanations by the court are made which do not materially alter the written instructions, and which have' no tendence [sic] to confuse the jury, the verdict will not be disturbed.’ See also, Walters v. State, 45 Okl.Cr. 429 , 283 P. 1033 and Bird v. State, 22 Okl.Cr. 263 , 210 P. 925 .””

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

3. “1. The instructions of a court should conform to the charge in the information and the defense interposed, and to the testimony in the case.”

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