Commonwealth v. Bruno’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

34 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 37 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Miranda v. Arizona, extended the right against self-incrimination and the right to the assistance of counsel, from the formal ‘criminal proceeding,’ i. e., the trial, to police interrogation. For similar reasons, we long ago indicated that the right against self-incrimination protects a person from being compelled to answer any question propounded to him by those making a mental examination ‘for the purpose of testifying in regard thereto’ at a criminal trial. Commonwealth v. Musto, 348 Pa. 300, 306 , 35 A.2d 307, 311 (1944). Both Miranda and Musto simply recognize that the guilt determining process does not begin at trial.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Henderson

2. ““ ‘[T]he mental competence of an accused must be regarded as an absolute and basic condition of a fair trial.’ Commonwealth v. Bruno, 435 Pa. 200 , 205 n.1, 255 A.2d 519 , 522 n.1 (1969). ‘[T]he conviction of an accused person while he is legally incompetent violates due process ... and ... state procedures must be adequate to protect this right.’ Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375, 378 , 86 S.Ct. 836, 838 [ 15 L.Ed.2d 815 ] (1966); See Commonwealth v. Ragone, 317 Pa. 113 , 176 A. 454 (1935).””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Robinson