Commonwealth v. Brown’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

21 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 21 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “knew the firearm he or she possessed was loaded.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 95 Mass. App. Ct. 406 - Commonwealth v. Mitchell · 93 Mass. App. Ct. 740 - Commonwealth v. Galarza

2. “because 'findings based on legally insufficient evidence are inherently serious enough to create a substantial risk of a miscarriage of justice' "). Here, we have the rare case that presents both a procedural defect and a sufficiency issue that compels reversal on the question of sufficiency of the evidence 8 of the conviction of possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card. In addition, the defendant contends that the evidence was insufficient to prove that he knew the firearm was loaded and therefore the conviction of possession of a loaded firearm must be reversed. "To convict the defendant of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, the Commonwealth [is] required to prove that the defendant knowingly possessed a firearm that was loaded with ammunition and met the legal requirements of a firearm ....”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 740 - Commonwealth v. Galarza

3. “To convict the defendant of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, the Commonwealth [is] required to prove that the defendant knowingly possessed a firearm that was loaded with ammunition and met the legal requirements of a firearm ....”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 740 - Commonwealth v. Galarza