59 N.C. App. 44 - State v. Ahearn’s Empirical Analysis
1982
Citation profile
6
cited by 6 later decisions
2
states following
November 1995
most recently cited
6 state decisions
Relationships
Relies on State v. Goodman · 58 N.C. App. 330 - State v. Davis · 57 N.C. App. 672 - State v. Rivard
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 6 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“The discretionary task of weighing mitigating and aggravating factors is not a simple matter of mathematics. For example, three factors of one kind do not automatically and of necessity outweigh one factor of another kind. The number of factors found is only one consideration in determining which factors outweigh others. Although the court is required to consider all statutory factors to some degree, it may properly emphasize one factor more than another in a particular case. . .. The balance struck by the trial judge will not be disturbed if there is support in the record for his determination.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.