State v. Christy’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

6 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 6 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The facts of these offenses were relatively simple and were similar. All five burglaries involved inhabited dwellings on El Scott Avenue. For each offense, the State introduced the testimony of the particular sheriffs deputy who investigated that offense and recovered fingerprints therefrom ... Finally, the State presented the testimony of the fingerprint expert, Martha Hilburn, who identified the defendant’s fingerprints in connection with each particular offense. [[Image here]] Considering the relatively simple facts of these very similar offenses, the manner in which the evidence was presented to the jury, and the trial court’s instructions to the jury, we conclude that the defendant was not prejudiced by the joinder of these offenses in a single bill of information. Accordingly, the trial court did not err in denying the defendant’s motion to quash for misjoinder, or, alternatively, motion to sever offenses. Id. at 1325.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 27 So. 3d 904 - State v. Fontenberry

2. “[W]e do not approve of the practice of dismissing one or more counts of a multi-count prosecution during the trial when that charge (or those charges) could have been dismissed prior to trial. . . . [W]here a piece of evidence is missing or a witness cannot be located . . . the State should move to sever that particular count before trial. Such a practice would avoid the problems presented herein, as well as provide the possibility of a future prosecution on that particular count if the missing piece of evidence or witness were located, since jeopardy would not have attached to a count dismissed prior to trial.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 998 So. 2d 692 - State v. Stevenson

3. “... There might well be situations wherein the entering of a nolle prosequi for one or more counts after the jury has been informed of the existence of all the counts will prejudice a defendant to such an extent that he is entitled to a mistrial, especially if evidence of the count or counts being dismissed was introduced, which might entitle such defendant to a mandatory mistrial pursuant to La.C.Cr.P. art. 770(2) [sic].”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 653 So. 2d 140 - State v. Busby