Sweet v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

12 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 12 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"a bifurcated trial is required 'as it is the best procedure' to insure that the jury remains uninformed about a defendant's prior convictions until the appropriate time. The determination of whether or not a ... charge should be aggravated . must be made only if and after a conviction is rendered on the foundation charge." 489 N.E.2d at 1147.”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Shelton v. State · Lamb v. State

2. “... [Informing the jury of a defendant's prior conviction before a guilty verdict is returned on the alleged foundation charge unduly prejudices the defendant and denies him his constitutional right to due process.... The statutory scheme for marijuana dealing drug charges dealt with in Sweet is virtually indistinguishable from the intoxicated driver provisions under which Smith was tried.”

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

3. “Proceedings are bifurcated in cases where prior convictions serve to enhance a present conviction in recognition that evidence of prior crimes is generally inadmissible in criminal cases, because it has no tendency to establish the guilt or innocence of the accused but, if effective at all, can serve only to prejudice or mislead or excite the minds and inflame the passions of the jury.”

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