Commonwealth v. Beasley’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 federal appellate · 89 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 98 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “505 Pa. at 289, 479 A.2d at 465 (emphasis added). 14 The Beasley court explained its decision as follows: 46 In this Commonwealth, sentencing has long been regarded as having at its core a function of character analysis, see Commonwealth v. Bell, [417 Pa. 291, 208 A.2d 465 (1965) ], and the central idea of the present sentencing statute is to allow a jury to take into account such relevant information, bearing upon a defendant's character and record, as is applicable to the task of considering the enumerated aggravating circumstances. Consideration of prior”

   12 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Reid · Commonwealth v. Travaglia

2. “There is no reason to believe that the meaning accorded by legislative references to convictions was not consistent in consecutively enumerated provisions listing aggravating circumstances within the same sub-section of the sentencing code. Thus within 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9711(d), conviction for purposes of (d)(9) should be construed as having the same meaning as does conviction for purposes of (d)(10), thus allowing verdicts of guilt for which judgments of sentence have not yet been imposed to be considered by the jury as part of a defendant’s history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence to the person. Under this approach, no error accrues unless the subsequently entered judgments of sentence are overturned on appeal. This comports with the traditional function of the penalty stage to focus upon aspects of a defendant’s character. See Commonwealth v. Bell, 417 Pa. 291, 296 , 208 A.2d 465, 468 (1965). Character is reflected in verdicts of guilt, regardless of whether judgments of sentence have yet been entered.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Karabin · Commonwealth v. Morales

3. “[I]n construing provisions of the sentencing code relating to aggravating circumstances, we have allowed convictions arising from crimes committed after the subject offense to be introduced at the sentencing stage. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9711(d)(9), which makes it an aggravating circumstance that a “defendant has a significant history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence to the person,” convictions for offenses occurring after the subject offense have been held admissible.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Reid