State v. Chakouian’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 19 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 21 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The mere statement in a plea agreement that a witness promises to speak "truthfully" does not by itself constitute improper vouching. [ People v.] Buschard, 109 Mich.App. [306] at 316, 311 N.W.2d [759] at 764 [1981]. This "is the same promise he or she makes when called as a witness at trial." United States v. Leslie, 759 F.2d 366, 378 (5th Cir.1985). Similarly, a statement in a plea agreement that perjury charges will be brought if the defendant makes any false statement under oath is law already known by most jurors even without instruction by the court. Thus, in order to find reversible error for admittance of a plea agreement on grounds of improper vouching there must be additional improper insinuations by the government.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Goodroad

2. ““Based upon the state and Federal decisions cited above, we cannot hold that any reference to a plea agreement containing a promise of truthfulness is in itself grounds for reversal. A more accurate statement of the law appears to be that, although such agreements should be admitted with great caution, admissibility of such an agreement is not necessarily error unless it is used by the prosecution to suggest that the government had some special knowledge, not known to the jury, that the witness was testifying truthfully.” Buschard, 311 N.W.2d at 763-64 .”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Diefenderfer