Commonwealth v. Taylor’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

10 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 10 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “A person has the right to a direct appeal, but may waive this right. Commonwealth v. Maloy, 438 Pa. 261 , 264 A.2d 697 (1970). The waiver of the right to appeal may be made by withdrawing post-verdict motions. Commonwealth v. Williams, 459 Pa. 589 , 330 A.2d 854 (1975). ‘However, in order to be effective as a waiver, the withdrawal of post-verdict motions must have been made with a full knowledge and understanding of its consequential effect on the appellant’s right to appeal.’ Commonwealth v. Williams, supra, 459 Pa. at 591 , 330 A.2d at 855 . To that end ‘... the accused must be advised that a failure to raise an issue in post-verdict motions precludes raising that issue on appeal.’ Commonwealth v. Tate, 473 Pa. 478, 480 , 375 A.2d 341, 342 (1977). ‘Because [post-verdict] motions are a critical step in the post-conviction review process, we will scrutinize closely any waiver of the [appeal rights such motions preserve] in order to insure the appellant has acted voluntarily and with a full understanding of his rights.’ Commonwealth v. Coleman, 458 Pa. 324, 325-26 , 327 A.2d 77 (1974).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 314 Pa. Super. 298 - Commonwealth v. Lewis