Brown v. Sirmons’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

10 federal appellate · 2 district · 1 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 33 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[Walton] claims the State’s proof was insufficient because: (1) he presented alibi evidence in the form of testimony from his wife purportedly showing that he was not present at the time or place where the robberies were committed; (2) some witnesses saw only three robbers at the scene; and (3) he presented evidence that could have explained the presence of his DNA found on a robber’s mask in the getaway car. These were all jury questions. It is the jury’s job to weigh the evidence, resolve conflicting evidence, and reconcile conflicting testimony. We accept all reasonable inferences and credibility choices which support the jury’s verdict. Taking all the evidence presented in the case in the light most favorable to the State, any rational trier of fact could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that [Walton] robbed the restaurant and several of its customers as charged.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. Matthews v. Workman · 416 F. App'x 740 - Walton v. Keith

2. “The OCCA held that: The medical examiner testified that the first blow by the baseball bat could have rendered Yost unconscious. However, before the baseball bat was ever intro- dueed into the attack, Yost was attacked and dragged into the back room by his four assailants. Yost screamed for help while the bat was being retrieved from the car. Obviously he was being restrained at that time by Wilson and another defendant. Yost suffered injuries to his hands, arguably coming from the blow from the bat, indicating defensive wounds. There was a piece of metal from the handcuff imbedded in Yost’s head indicating that he had his hands between his head and the bat. In the surveillance tape noises can be heard during the attack after the baseball bat was taken to the cooler where Yost was being held. Once the bat arrived, it is possible that Yost was struck and rendered unconscious with one blow. However, we find that before the bat was brought into the attack, Yost had suffered the extreme mental anguish of being held captive, knowing that his ultimate fate rested in the hands of his attackers whom he could identify if left to live. There is ample evidence of the extreme mental anguish suffered by Yost prior to his death. This evidence illustrates the realization by Yost that he was going to be harmed and even killed by the gang of robbers who had overpowered him and dragged him into a back room.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. Wilson v. Sirmons

3. “[t]he still photographs taken from [the] video made it easier for witnesses to identify the defendants at the time certain events are taking place. Therefore, they were introduced for different purposes and are not cumulative. He claims that the diagrams and photographs of the scene were also cumulative of the crime scene video introduced during the second stage. The diagrams and the photographs of the scene were introduced to give the jury an idea of the layout of the store and different angles of the crime scene. The crime scene video gives the jury a walk through perspective of the crime scene. This information was relevant to prove the aggravating circumstances alleged by the State: that the murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel and that Wilson would commit future acts of violence which would constitute a continuing threat to society. The introduction of these separately did not result in the needless admission of cumulative evidence.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the concurrence
   e.g. Wilson v. Sirmons