464 So. 2d 640 - Wooten v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

17 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 17 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The intent of a person to realize a monetary gain out of an incident which has become the subject of litigation, as may be evidenced by pendency of a civil action for damages or by anticipatory preparation therefor through lawyer consultation or hiring, is an individualized fact having a logical tendency to show bias against the other party to the reference litigation, hostility to his cause and an interest adverse to him in the outcome of the legal dispute. Facts showing that the State’s prosecuting witness may have been actuated by personal considerations instead of altruistic interest generated solely from motives in the public interest to bring a criminal to justice ... may be viewed as having some probative value in proof not only of such bias and hostility, but also of a motive to give false testimony.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Martin v. State · 541 So. 2d 699 - Payne v. State

2. “"that cross-examination is the traditional and constitutionally-guaranteed method of exposing possible biases, prejudices and ulterior motives of a witness as they may relate to the issues or personalities in the case at hand. See Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 316 , 94 S.Ct. 1105, 1110 , 39 L.Ed.2d 347, 354 (1974). The vital importance of full and searching cross-examination is even clearer when, as here, the prosecution's case stands or falls on the jury's assessment of the credibility of the key witnesses. See Porter v. State, 386 So.2d 1209 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980)." Wooten v. State, 464 So.2d 640 (Fla. 3d DCA 1985),”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 467 So. 2d 455 - Alvarez v. State · Rivera v. State

3. ““[t]he general rule is that the pendency of a civil action brought against an accused by a witness in a criminal case is admissible as tending to show interest and bias of the witness to prove a motive to falsify, exaggerate or minimize on his part, in other words, to support a claim that such witness’ testimony may be false or inaccurate, intentional or otherwise. Such evidence may be introduced in cross-examination... The rule has been extended to the situation where no civil action has been commenced, but such a suit is or may be contemplated, as in the case of consultation with, or hiring of, an attorney.””

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