62 So. 3d 55 - State v. Ward’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 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 2 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Although the defendant in a criminal trial has the right to prove his defense, including the calling of a prosecutor who is otherwise a competent witness, the prosecutor's testimony must be relevant and material to the theory of the defense, and it must not be privileged, repetitious, or cumulative. See State v. Tuesno , 408 So.2d 1269 , 1273 (La. 1982). In a motion to disqualify the prosecutor, the defendant bears the burden of showing by a preponderance of the evidence that the prosecutor's testimony is essential to the completion of his defense and that the information sought cannot be obtained through other available witnesses. See State v. Bourque , 622 So.2d 198 , 216-17 (La. 1993) ; State v. Tuesno , 408 So.2d at 1272-73 ; see also La.Code Evid. art. 507(A) ; Rule 3.7, Rules of Professional Conduct. In the instant case, the trial judge specifically found that the information sought by the defendant from the assistant attorney general, who had interviewed the victim on one occasion without an investigator present, could be obtained from other sources. The trial judge had the benefit of the testimony given at the hearing on the motion to disqualify, as well as the various statements made by the victim on multiple occasions. On the showing made by the defendant, we cannot say the trial judge abused her discretion in finding the defendant failed to carry his burden of proof.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. State v. Middleton