In re Sparks’s Empirical Analysis
657 F.3d 258 · 2011
Citation profile
7 federal appellate · 12 state decisions
Relationships
Applies 18 U.S.C. § 3006A (Criminal Justice Act) · 28 U.S.C. § 2244 (Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996) · 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996)
Relies on Teague v. Lane · Atkins v. Virginia · Penry v. Lynaugh · Roper Superintendent Potosi Correctional Center v. Simmons · Schriro Director Arizona Department of Corrections v. Summerlin
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 26 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“the Supreme Court's decision in Atkins barring the execution of the mentally retarded has been given retroactive effect, as has the Court's decision in Roper”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the concurrencee.g. People v. Rainer · People v. Wilder“1. Does imposition of a life-without-parole sentence on a fourteen-year-old child convicted on homicide violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments' prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment when the extreme rarity of such sentences in practice reflects a national consensus regarding the reduced criminal culpability of young children? 2. Does imposition of a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole on a fourteen-year-old child convicted of homicide — a sentence imposed pursuant to a statutory scheme that categorically precludes consideration of the offender’s young age or any other mitigating circumstances — violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments' prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority“Atkins and Roper both 'prohibit[ ] a certain category of punishment for a [certain] class of defendants because of their status or offense'; so too does Graham , which bars the imposition of a sentence of life imprisonment without parole on a juvenile offender.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majoritye.g. People v. Rainer
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.