475 So. 2d 1205 - Gore v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

13 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 16 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Gore and his cousin picked up fourteen-year-old [R.M. 1 ] and seventeen-year-old Lynn Elliott who were hitchhiking to the beach. After the glove compartment in the pickup truck fell open and a gun became visible, Gore took the gun and held it to [R.M.’s] head. He grabbed the two girls’ wrists and held them together. Gore then said that they should take the girls to Gore’s home. He told the girls that if they said or did anything, they would be killed. When they arrived at his home, the girls were handcuffed and taken into a bedroom. The girls then were separated, and Lynn was tied up while [R.M.] was handcuffed. Gore cut [R.M.’s] clothes off of her and sexually assaulted her on three separate occasions. [R.M.] testified that she heard noises in the other room after Gore had left her. She heard Gore tell Lynn to shut up or he would kill her. Gore also told [R.M.] to be quiet or he would slit her throat and that he would do it anyway. Gore then put [R.M.] in the closet, and, after he left, she heard two or three shots. Gore then came back into the room and put [R.M.] in the attic where she stayed until rescued by a police officer. Michael Rock, a fifteen-year-old boy, testified that on July 26, 1983, while riding his bicycle in the area of Gore’s home, he heard screaming and observed a naked girl running down the driveway being chased by Gore who was also naked. He saw Gore catch up to her, drag her back to a palm tree, and shoot her twice in the head. Rock went home and told h”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Gore v. Dugger · 91 So. 3d 769 - Gore v. State

2. “THE COURT: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we are concerned about Mr. Brown’s health. Under the circumstances I am excusing Mr. Brown so that he can go about his own personal affairs and I believe we do have someone in attendance with him. * * * * * * Ladies and gentlemen, any outburst that Mr. Brown made or may not have made — I did not hear — but I want to state to you, as I’ve stated to you from the very beginning, this case must be tried solely on the evidence and on the law and -nothing else. * * * * * * Can each of you assure me that you will make your decision in this case solely on the law and nothing else? Is there anything that Mr. Brown has stated that would in any way influence this jury and carry any comments he may or may not have said into the jury room? All right. We’re sorry for the interruption of the defense’s argument. Mr. Phillips, you may proceed.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Gore v. Dugger

3. “Now, the aggravating circumstances that you may consider are limited to any of the following that are established by the evidence ... Now, the crime — the fourth, the crime for which the defendant is to be sentenced was especially wicked, evil, atrocious or cruel. Now, this aggravating circumstance is only applicable if the State of Florida has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the capital felony was accomplished by such additional acts as to set the crime apart from the norm of capital felonies. The murder must have been a con-sciousless (sic) or pitiless crime which was unnecessarily torturous to the victim. (Tr. 3232-33).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Gore v. Dugger