Davis v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

7 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 7 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “D-4 The Court instructs the Jury that under the Constitution of the United States, the Jury has a paramount right to acquit an accused person for whatever reason and to find her not guilty, even though the evidence may support a conviction, and this is an important part of the jury trial system guaranteed by the Constitution. The Court further instructs the Jury that this principle of jury nullification is as much a part of and just as important to the constitutional process as any other instruction which the Court has given to this Jury, and that in the final analysis, you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, are the sole judges of whether or not it is right and fair to convict the Accused or whether under the totality of the circumstances, the Accused should be found not guilty. In arriving at your verdict, you are not compelled to answer to anyone or to the State, nor are you required at any time by the Court or any person or party to give a reason or to be brought to accountability for your decision and vote.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 556 So. 2d 728 - Rose v. State

2. “has a paramount right to acquit an accused person for whatever reason”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 25 Cal. 4th 441 - People v. Williams

3. “would in essence direct juries that they could run amuck”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 25 Cal. 4th 441 - People v. Williams