Commonwealth v. Fernandes’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

11 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 11 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The evidence need not be direct; circumstantial evidence and inferences drawn therefrom may be sufficient. Commonwealth v. Linton , 456 Mass. 534 , 544 (2010), quoting from Commonwealth v. Lao , 443 Mass. 770 , 773 (2005), S . C ., 450 Mass. 215 (2007) and 460 Mass. 12 (2011). These inferences 'need only be reasonable and possible and need not be necessary or inescapable.' Linton , supra , quoting Lao , supra.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 1117 - Commonwealth v. Ward

2. “In keeping with the prosecutor's ability to point out the weaknesses of the defendant's case and make a fair reply to his closing argument, ... a prosecutor may address the witness's lack of a motive to lie and do so by asking rhetorical questions relying on the evidence presented.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 94 Mass. App. Ct. 1123 - Commonwealth v. Gilberto Espinola

3. “judge must make 'findings adequate to support the closure' " where there is partial closure, although "reviewing court may examine the record itself to see if it contains sufficient support for the closure ... in the absence of formal or express findings by the judge”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Garcia