State v. Pignolet’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 district · 33 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 35 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Generally, the decision to give a supplemental instruction, or to refrain from doing so, rests within the sound discretion of the trial justice, and he need not limit himself to answering questions from the jury. As long as the supplemental charge is “scrupulously fair to the defendant and to the state” and does “not infringe upon the fact-finding province of the jury by coercion or improper suggestion,” the giving of a supplemental charge is not improper.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Watkins · State v. McCall

2. ““ ‘Force or coercion’ — shall mean when the accused does any of the following: (A) uses or threatens to use a weapon, or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the victim to reasonably believe it to be a weapon. (B) overcomes the victim through the application of physical force or physical violence. (C) coerces the victim to submit by threatening to use force or violence on the victim and the victim reasonably believes that the accused has the present ability to execute these threats. (D) coerces the victim to submit by threatening to at some time in the future murder, inflict serious bodily injury upon or kidnap the victim or any other person and the victim reasonably believes that the accused has the ability to execute this threat.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. State v. Burke · State v. St. Amant

3. ““evidence of other not too remote sex crimes with the particular person concerned in the crime on trial may be introduced to show the accused’s ‘lewd disposition or * * * intent’ towards the person, (2) evidence that the accused committed nonremote similar sexual offenses with persons other than the victim may be admitted to prove the presence of the traditional exceptions to the general rule, such as intent or motive, with a caveat that the evidence of other acts with other persons may be shown on the issue of intent only if it is absolutely necessary * * *, and (3) any doubt as to the relevancy of such evidence should be resolved in favor of the accused.” (Emphases added.)”

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