Barnes v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

17 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 17 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “If you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that on or about the 13th day of January, 2002, in Harris County, Texas, Harold Louis Vaughn, did then and there unlawfully, while in the course of committing or attempting to commit the robbery of Trevor Cook, intentionally cause the death of Trevor Cook by cutting Trevor Cook with a deadly weapon, namely, a knife, and that the defendant, David Charles Holford, with the intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, if any, solicited, encouraged, directed, aided or attempted to aid Harold Louis Vaughn to commit the offense, if he did; or [[Image here]] If you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that on or about the 13th day of January, 2002, in Harris County, Texas, Harold Louis Vaughn, did then and there unlawfully while in the course of committing or attempting to commit the robbery of Trevor Cook, intentionally cause the death of Trevor Cook by striking Trevor Cook with a deadly weapon unknown to the Grand Jury, and that the defendant, David Charles Holford, with the intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, if any, solicited, encouraged, directed, aided or attempted to aid Harold Louis Vaughn to commit the offense, if he did; ... then you will find the defendant guilty of capital murder, as charged in the indictment.”

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

2. “intentionally cause[d] the death of an individual, David Chapa by shooting David Chapa with a deadly weapon, to-wit: a firearm, in the course of committing or attempting to commit the offense of robbery, you will find the defendant guilty of the offense of Capital Murder and so say by your verdict, or if you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, that ... Kevin Barnes or Kevin Richardson intentionally caused the death of an individual, David Chapa by shooting David Chapa with a deadly weapon, to-wit: a firearm, in the course of committing or attempting to commit the offense of robbery and the defendant, Carlis Jovonite Russell acting with the intent that the capital murder of David Chapa be committed did solicit, encourage, direct, aid or attempt to aid Kevin Barnes or Kevin Richardson to commit the offense, by carrying a weapon during the robbery, if any, by taking property from customers, if he did, by threatening customers, by removing property from the business establishment, or by firing his weapon during the robbery, if he did, then you will find the defendant, Carlis Jovonite Russell guilty of the offense of Capital Murder.”

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