Commonwealth v. Dillon’s Empirical Analysis
4 U.S. 110 · 1792
Citation profile
4
cited by 4 later decisions
2
states following
October 1965
most recently cited
1 federal appellate · 3 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 4 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
““Ifl such declarations are voluntarily made, all the world will agree' that they furnish the strongest evidence. of imputed guilt. The hope of mercy actuates almost every criminal who confesses his crime; and merely that he cherishes the hope is no reason, in morality, nor in law,, to disbelieve him. The true point for consideration, therefore, is whether the prisoner has falsely declared himself guilty of a capital offense? If there is ground even to suspect that he has done so, God forbid that his life should be the sacrifice!” ' '”
1 later decision quote this exact passage
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.