430 Pa. Super. 336 - Commonwealth v. Lewis’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

24 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 24 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The threshold inquiry for evaluating claims of ineffective assistance is the issue, argument or tactic which counsel has forgone is of arguable merit. Commonwealth v. Durst, 522 Pa. 2 , 559 A.2d 504 (1989). If the argument is of merit, the next inquiry is whether counsel's chosen course of action was designed to effectuate his client's best interests. Upon proof that counsel had some reasonable basis for pursuing his chosen course, the inquiry ends and counsel is presumed effective. Commonwealth v. McNeil, 506 Pa. 607 , 487 A.2d 802 (1985). If a reasonable basis is lacking, the defendant must demonstrate that counsel's actions worked to his prejudice. Commonwealth v. Pierce, 515 Pa. 153 , 527 A.2d 973 (1987).”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 447 Pa. Super. 522 - Commonwealth v. Bronaugh · Commonwealth v. Drass