Commonwealth v. Johnson’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

48 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 48 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[a]s a matter of statutory interpretation, although one is admonished to listen attentively to what the statute says; one must also listen attentively to what it does not say.”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Young v. Pa. Bd. of Prob. & Parole · Com. v. $34,440.00 U.S. Currency Appeal of: R. Falette

2. “whether, viewing all the evidence admitted at trial in the light most favorable to the [Commonwealth as the] verdict winner, there is sufficient evidence to enable the fact-finder to find every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In applying [the above] test, we may not weigh the evidence and substitute our judgment for the fact-finder. In addition, we note that the facts and circumstances established by the Commonwealth need not preclude every possibility of innocence. Any doubts regarding a defendant's guilt may be resolved by the fact-finder unless the evidence is so weak and inconclusive that as a matter of law no probability of fact may be drawn from the combined circumstances. The Commonwealth may sustain its burden of proving every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt by means of wholly circumstantial evidence.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Cornelius

3. “the legislature did not choose to include the offense of conspiracy in the list of enumerated criminal offenses to which 18 Pa.C.S. [ ] § 7508(a)(7)(i) applies upon conviction.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Com. v. $34,440.00 U.S. Currency Appeal of: R. Falette