Commonwealth v. Williams’s Empirical Analysis
2008
Citation profile
15
cited by 15 later decisions
1
states following
October 2018
most recently cited
15 state decisions
Relationships
Relies on Commonwealth v. Latimore · McGinnis v. Hadix · Commonwealth v. Santiago · Commonwealth v. Ciampa · Commonwealth v. Cohen
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 15 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“Because the inference [from a missing witness instruction], when it is made, can have a seriously adverse effect on the noncalling party -- suggesting, as it does, that the party has wilfully attempted to withhold or conceal significant evidence -- it should be invited only in clear cases, and with caution.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage“We review a judge's decision to give or not give a missing witness instruction under the abuse of discretion standard.”
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.