Wheeler v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 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 3 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"An accused's alleged mental condition alone will not prevent a statement from correctly being received into evidence at trial. As this court has stated: "`The Alabama courts have recognized that subnormal tendencies of the accused are but one factor to review in the totality of the circumstances surrounding the confession. See McCord v. State, 507 So.2d 1030 (Ala.Cr.App. 1987); Sasser v. State, 497 So.2d 1131 (Ala.Cr.App. 1986); Corbin v. State, 412 So.2d 299 (Ala.Cr.App. 1982). For a more in-depth discussion of this point, see, 23 A.L.R. 4th 493 ; 8 A.L.R. 4th 16 .' "`Judge Bowen, speaking for this court in Corbin, supra, 412 So.2d at 301 , stated: "`"Mental `subnormality' does not in and of itself render a confession involuntary. Parker v. State, 351 So.2d 927 (Ala.Cr.App.), cert. quashed, 351 So.2d 938 (Ala. 1977); Arnold v. State, 348 So.2d 1092 (Ala.Cr.App.), cert. denied, 348 So.2d 1097 (Ala. 1977). The mere fact that the defendant was simpleminded or `functionally illiterate' will not vitiate the voluntariness of his confession."'"”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Thompson v. State · 745 So. 2d 295 - Flynn v. State

2. “"`Any mental impairment, short of mania or such impairment of the will and mind that an individual becomes unconscious of the meaning of his words, will not render a statement or confession inadmissible. The determination of whether a confession was voluntarily made is to be based upon a consideration of the "totality of the circumstances." Blackburn v. Alabama, 361 U.S. 199 , 80 S.Ct. 274 , 4 L.Ed.2d 242 (1960). "Mental abnormality of an accused is only one factor to be considered in determining from the totality of the circumstances the voluntariness and admissibility of a confession. Corbin v. State, 412 So.2d 299 (Ala.Cr.App.1982); Shorts v. State, 412 So.2d 830 (Ala.Cr. App.1981)." Baker v. State, 472 So.2d 700, 703 (Ala.Cr.App.1985).'" 659 So.2d at 1035, quoting McCord v. State, 507 So.2d 1030, 1033 (Ala.Cr.App. 1987).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 776 So. 2d 160 - Freeman v. State