Guzman v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

8 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 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““The class of persons eligible to obtain relief under this chapter shall be limited to the following:— “(i) those that have been granted a full pardon pursuant to section 152 of chapter 127, if the governor expressly states in writing his belief in the individual’s innocence, or “(ii) those who have been granted judicial relief by a state court of competent jurisdiction, on grounds which tend to establish the innocence of the individual as set forth in clause (vi) of subsection (C), and if (a) the judicial relief vacates or reverses the judgment of a felony conviction, and the felony indictment or complaint used to charge the individual with such felony has been dismissed, or if a new trial was ordered, the individual was not retried and the felony indictment or complaint was dismissed or a nolle prosequi was entered, or if a new trial was ordered the individual was found not guilty at the new trial; and (b) at the time of the filing of an action under this chapter no criminal proceeding is pending or can be brought against the individual by a district attorney or the attorney general for any act associated with such felony conviction.””

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

2. “the . . . verdict,' Commonwealth v. Alphas, 430 Mass. 8, 13 (1999), quoting Commonwealth v. Freeman, 352 Mass. 556, 564 (1967); or even that evidence withheld by the Commonwealth would have provided some 'significant aid to the defendant's case,' Commonwealth v. Laguer, 448 Mass. 585, 594 (2007), quoting Commonwealth v. Healy, 438 Mass. 672, 679 (2003).”

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

3. “That is, to be eligible, a plaintiff must demonstrate more than that his conviction was set aside because 'new evidence would probably have been a real factor in the jury's deliberations,' Commonwealth v. Grace, 397 Mass. 303, 306 (1986); or that an error at trial '”

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