Commonwealth v. Merry’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 34 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[T]he evidence is sufficient to reach the jury and a motion for a required finding of not guilty is properly denied if the evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth and drawing all inferences in favor of the Commonwealth, would permit a rational jury to find each essential element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Webster · Commonwealth v. Johnson

2. “In considering whether the jury could find the existence of each element of the crime charged, we do not weigh the supporting evidence against conflicting evidence.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 1116 - Commonwealth v. Peick · 94 Mass. App. Ct. 1120 - Commonwealth v. Maldonado

3. “While the inferences drawn must be reasonable, they 'need not be necessary or inescapable.'”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Johnson · 93 Mass. App. Ct. 1117 - Commonwealth v. Francois