United States v. Murphy’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

9 federal appellate · 2 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 12 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “you have the right to make a statement in your own behalf and to present any information in mitigation of punishment”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. United States v. Navarro-Flores · United States v. Miller

2. “[T]o avoid litigation arising out of ambiguous records in order to determine whether the trial judge did address himself to the defendant personally, we think the problem should be, as it readily can be, taken out of the realm of controversy. This is easily accomplished. Trial judges before sentencing should, as a matter of good judicial administration, unambiguously address themselves to the defendant. Hereafter trial judges should leave no room for doubt that the defendant has been issued a personal invitation to speak prior to sentencing.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. United States v. Miller

3. “The most persuasive counsel may not be able to speak for a defendant as the defendant might, with halting eloquence, speak for himself.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. State v. Greve