598 So. 2d 430 - State v. Knowles’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

15 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 16 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “In Louisiana there is a legal presumption that the defendant is sane and responsible for his actions. A defendant who wishes to negate this presumption must put forth an affirmative defense of insanity and prove his insanity by a preponderance of the evidence. LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 652. The question of whether or not a defendant has affirmatively proved his insanity and should not be held responsible for his actions is one for the jury. State v. Marmillion, 339 So.2d 788 (La.1976); State v. Pravata, supra. When a defendant who affirmatively offered the defense of insanity claims that the record evidence does not support a finding of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard for review by an appellate court is whether or not any rational fact finder, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, could conclude that the defendant had not proved by a preponderance of the evidence that he was insane at the time of the offense. State v. Claibon, 395 So.2d 770 (La.1981).”

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

2. “If the circumstances indicate that because of a mental disease or mental defect the offender was incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong with reference to the conduct in question, the offender shall be exempt from criminal responsibility.”

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

3. “that state of mind which exists when the circumstances indicate that the offender actively desired the prescribed criminal consequences to follow his act or failure to act.”

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