State v. Beal’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

73 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 74 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““[W]here error occurs which, within the range of a reasonable possibility, may have affected the verdict of a jury, appellant is not required to explore the minds of the jurors in an effort to prove that it did in fact influence their verdict. So to hold would, as a practical matter, take from a defendant his right to a fair trial.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Budagher v. Amrep Corp. · State v. Melton

2. ““First. ‘There must be some shock, startling enough to produce this nervous excitement and render the utterance spontaneous and unreflecting.’ “Second. ‘The utterance must have been before there has been time to contrive and misrepresent, i. e., while the nervous excitement may be supposed still to dominate and the reflective powers to be yet in abeyance.’ “Third. ‘The utterance must relate to the circumstances of the occurrence preceding it.’ ””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Godwin

3. ““The veracity of neither court nor counsel is * * * involved. It is purely a matter of correctly recalling what transpired, yet so grave a case as this may not be decided upon the memory of those present at the trial. We are bound to consider the case, as presented here, upon the record made in the trial of the case.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Upton