Commonwealth v. Lawson’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 18 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “given the meager weight of [the inference that a defendant is probably sane because most people are sane] and the risk of juror confusion regarding the burden of proof, judges should not instruct juries regarding this inference.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Odgren · Commonwealth v. Waweru

2. “asserts a defense of lack of criminal responsibility and there is evidence at trial that ... would permit a reasonable finder of fact to have a reasonable doubt whether the defendant was criminally responsible”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Wright · Commonwealth v. Newton N., a juvenile

3. “A jury instruction concerning the presumption of sanity should be given in every case in which the question of the defendant's criminal responsibility is raised”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Odgren · Commonwealth v. Waweru