59 Va. App. 238 - Williams v. Commonwealth’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

14 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. ““every guilty plea is the product of some influence on a defendant. Every defendant faces the fear of sentencing. Each defendant considers the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of his or her plea and makes a decision based on the factors, or ‘influences,’ that are important to that person. Therefore, ‘the least influence’ and ‘fear’ cannot include fear of sentencing alone. Otherwise, courts would always have to grant motions to withdraw guilty pleas. Such a result would run contrary to the historic discretion of trial courts discussed by the Supreme Court in Parris.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 61 Va. App. 323 - Walter Delany Booker, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia · 60 Va. App. 540 - Robert Levon Branch v. Commonwealth of Virginia

2. “[t]he least surprise or influence causing a defendant to plead guilty when he has any defense at all should be sufficient grounds for permitting a change of plea from guilty to not guilty. Leave should ordinarily be given to withdraw a plea of guilty if it was entered by mistake or under a misconception of the nature of the charge; through a misunderstanding as to its effect; through fear, fraud, or official misrepresentation; was made involuntarily for any reason; or even where it was entered inadvisedly, if any reasonable ground is offered for going to the jury.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 61 Va. App. 777 - Lashon Marcay Pritchett v. Commonwealth of Virginia