Downer v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 1 district · 11 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 14 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “since the defendant ... 'used the plea as a tool for avoiding a more serious conviction ... it would be the height of sophistry to vacate the defendant's plea of guilty.' " Downer, 543 A.2d at 313 (quoting Bernard, 656 P.2d at 697 ). On the other hand, if the attorney had appealed the § 922(g)(1) conviction and had "won,”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. United States v. Richard L. Reser · United States v. Lester Eugene Fowler

2. “‘“[T]he practice of accepting pleas to lesser crimes is generally intended as a compromise in situations where conviction is uncertain of the crime charged. The judgment entered on the plea in such situations may be based upon no objective state of facts. It is often a hypothetical crime, and the procedure — authorized by statute — is justified for the reason that it is in substitution for a charge of crime of a more serious nature which has been charged but perhaps cannot be proved.... [H]is plea may relate to a hypothetical situation without objective basis.’ ””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 180 Md. App. 693 - Rivera v. State

3. “the focus of the [district] [c]ourt's jurisdiction here cannot be limited to the validity of the [nonexistent] charge but must include the adjudication through the plea bargaining process of all charges pending against the defendant.”

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