Commonwealth v. Molina’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

12 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 12 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “'When reviewing the denial of a motion to suppress, we accept the [motion] judge's findings of fact ... absent clear error,' but we independently determine 'the correctness of the judge's application of constitutional principles to the facts as found.'”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 92 Mass. App. Ct. 617 - Commonwealth v. Knowles · Commonwealth v. Amaral

2. “[t]he ultimate inquiry is 'whether, in light of the totality of the circumstances surrounding the making of the statement, the will of the defendant was overborne to the extent that the statement was not the result of a free and voluntary act.'”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 92 Mass. App. Ct. 617 - Commonwealth v. Knowles

3. “at the time he uttered the spontaneous, inculpatory statement as to preclude a finding that the statement was 'the product of a rational intellect and a free will.'”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 92 Mass. App. Ct. 617 - Commonwealth v. Knowles