Sasser v. Norris’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

4 federal appellate · 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 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “(1) [Sasser] meets the diagnostic criteria for mental retardation promulgated by the American Association on Mental Retardation and the American Psychiatric Association; (2) his IQ is 79 (which Sasser asserts places him in the mentally retarded range, taking into account the margin of error); (3) he was incapable of graduating from high school despite being enrolled in school for twelve years; (4) he was never able to live independently and was 29 at the time of [the] murder [for which he received the death penalty] and still living with his mother ...; (5) he was incapable of paying bills or maintaining a checking account; (6) he was capable of only the simplest, manual-labor jobs; and (7) he manifests significant deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Jackson v. Norris

2. “Sasser was not obligated to expand the record with additional evidence showing he was entitled to a hearing, nor was he obligated to file another motion requesting a hearing — Sasser already requested a hearing in his [petition], Simpson explains Sasser [was] entitled to a hearing simply by virtue of “alleging] that he [was] mentally retarded as Atkins defines that condition.” Given the circumstances and factual allegations in Sasser’s case, Simpson expressly requires an Atkins evidentiary hearing, not some other type of “remand procedure” crafted by the district court. We therefore reverse and remand to the district court for an evidentiary hearing to adjudicate the merits of Sasser’s mental retardation claim.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Jackson v. Norris

3. “there [was] no question the allegations in Sasser’s petition are as adequate as Simpson’s pleading threshold where the petitioner “alleged that he is mentally retarded as Atkins defines that condition” in order to obtain an evidentiary hearing on his mental retardation claim. Nothing in Sasser’s case precludes the need for an Atkins evidentiary hearing.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Jackson v. Norris