Commonwealth v. Scott’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

25 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 25 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “An impairment of an organ ... occurs when damage to the structure of the organ is significant enough to compromise its ability to perform its function in the victim's body.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 486 - Commonwealth v. Ryan · Commonwealth v. Sudler

2. “'effect consistent with its plain meaning and in light of the aim of the Legislature' unless to do so would achieve an 'absurd' or 'illogical' result.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 486 - Commonwealth v. Ryan · Commonwealth v. Dykens

3. “[w]ords and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the language.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 486 - Commonwealth v. Ryan · Commonwealth v. Sudler