McDowell v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 18 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 22 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““The reasonableness of a Terry stop and frisk ... must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. In any event, the proper balance between the sometimes competing interests of the police officer and the individual requires that the police officer employ the least intrusive means of .discovering and neutralizing any concealed weapons. While a pat-down of the outer surface of a suspect’s clothing is typically the least intrusive method, a more intrusive frisk may be warranted in the appropriate circumstance.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 235 Md. App. 263 - Goodwin v. State · 192 Md. App. 85 - Harrod v. State

2. “[T]he search of the passenger compartment of an automobile, limited to those areas in which a weapon may be placed or hidden, is permissible if the police officer possesses a reasonable belief based on specific and articulable facts which, taken together with the rational inferences from those facts, reasonably warrant the officers in believing that the suspect is dangerous and the suspect may gain control of weapons.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 199 Md. App. 96 - Turkes v. State · 235 Md. App. 263 - Goodwin v. State

3. “Where a police officer observes unusual conduct which leads him reasonably to conclude in light of his experience that criminal activity may be afoot and that the persons with whom he is dealing may be armed and presently dangerous ... and where nothing in the initial stages of the encounter serves to dispel his reasonable fear for his own or others’ safety, he is entitled for the protection of himself and others in the area to conduct a carefully limited search of the outer clothing of such persons in an attempt to discover weapons which might be used to assault him. Such a search is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 199 Md. App. 96 - Turkes v. State