State v. Pienick’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

37 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. ““ . . . Proof of the single fact that a building has been burned does not show the corpus delicti of arson, but it must also appear that it roas burned by the wilful act of some person criminally responsible, . . (Italics ours.)”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Pfeuller · 54 Wash. 2d 17 - State v. Siemion

2. ““No man ought to be convicted of a crime upon mere suspicion, or because he may have had an opportunity to commit it, or even because of bad character, and where circumstances are relied on for a conviction they ought to be of such a character as to negative every reasonable hypothesis except that of the defendant’s guilt. And a new trial should be granted where a conviction is had on evidence not connecting the defendant with the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.””

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

3. ““Where a chain of circumstances leads up to and establishes a state of facts inconsistent with any theory other than the guilt of the accused, such evidence is entitled to as much weight as any other kind of evidence, but the chain, as it were, must be unbroken, and the facts and circumstances disclosed and relied upon must be irreconcilable with the innocence of the accused in order to justify his conviction.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 33 Wash. 2d 847 - State v. Gillingham