Huff v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

21 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. “1. Smuggling or sale of large quantities of narcotics or possession of large quantities for .sale. 2. Smuggling or sale of small quantities of narcotics, or possession of small quantities for sale. 3. Possession of narcotics without intent to sell. 4. Marijuana offenses.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Solitaire v. State · Snyder v. State

2. “At the present time a prisoner may become eligible for parole if the presiding judge, at the time of sentencing, designates a minimum period which the prisoner must serve in prison before being eligible for parole which, according to statute, ‘shall be at least one-third of the maximum sentence imposed by the court.’ But it does not follow from this that there is any certainty that a prisoner, such as Huff, would actually be paroled at that time. As has been recently stated in ‘Parole in Alaska,’ published in January 1977: There is an increasing tendency among judges as well as in editorial comment to consider that those convicted of a crime will be automatically released on parole when one-third of the time is served. Yet, less than one-third of those heard by the parole board in 1976 were actually paroled, and these individuals served almost half their sentence before being released. In addition, the criteria for determining who is paroled seems reasonable. All in all, the parole process in Alaska appears to be effective and not at all lenient. Thus, the odds based on existing data do not favor Huff’s chances of being paroled in 30 months after being sentenced for a total period of eight years. We feel that we cannot rely on the uncertain possibility of parole in determining whether a sentence is excessive.”

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

3. “Art. I, § 12 of our constitution provides: ‘[pjenal administration shall be based on the principle of reformation and upon the need for protecting the public.’ In the past we have assumed, and we trust correctly, that both the Division of Corrections of the Department of Health and Social Services and the Parole Board are fully aware of the need for rehabilitation — particularly where a drug addict is concerned. We have confidence that they are so aware, but to emphasize this matter [we] will state again what we said in Waters v. State, 483 P.2d 199, 202 (Alaska 1971): ‘Given appellant’s seeming inability to cope with his problem of drug addiction and his demonstrated danger to the safety of the community at large, it is imperative that necessary medical, psychiatric, and psychological treatment be made available to appellant during any period of incarceration or supervised parole.’”

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