State v. Abbott’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 19 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 21 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““It was competent for the defendant to cross-examine the witness as to her antecedents, character, and past conduct, and thus impair her credibility. This line of inquiry béeame important because of the contention that ’ the prosecution was prompted by the malice of this witness, resulting from a failure to extort money, and some of the circumstances surrounding the case seem to justify a full cross-examination as to her past conduct and character. There is no better method of sifting the conscience and testing the veracity and credibility of a witness than by cross-examination, and there is abundant authority holding that for the purpose of impairing the credibility of the witness he may be cross-examined as to specific acts tending to discredit him, although such acts are irrelevant and collateral to the main issue. (Citing cases).” (p. 141.)”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. State v. Pugh · State v. Shanahan

2. ““The defendant set up as a defense an alibi, and introduced evidence tending to prove that on Saturday, June 15,’he was in another, place, some considerable distance away; that he was five miles away from the alleged scene of the crime on June 22, and that he was at the city of Howard on Saturday, June 29. The court instructed the jury that one of the defenses interposed by the defendant was an alibi, and that the fact that the defendant was present at the time and place the offense was committed must be proven by the state beyond a reasonable doubt. In another instruction, however, the court told the jury that it was ‘not necessary that the precise date of the commission of the offense be proven if it is established beyond a reasonable doubt by the evidence that said offense charged or included therein was committed within two years just preceding the commencement of the prosecution.’ ” (p. 142.)”

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