People v. Featherstone’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 district · 33 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 37 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Undoubtedly, where the persons participating in an offense of this character do so without compulsion, each is an accomplice of the other, and is liable to prosecution as such. Pen. Code, 31. In such case there is a common intent to unite in the attempt to commit the offense.” (Citing cases.)”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. People v. Ellis · Government of Guam v. Pennington

2. ““A conviction cannot be had upon the testimony of an accomplice unless it be corroborated by such other evidence as shall tend to connect the defendant with the commission of the offense; and the corroboration is not sufficient if it merely shows the commission of the offense or the circumstances thereof. An accomplice is hereby defined as one who is liable for prosecution for the identical offense charged against the defendant on trial in the cause in which the testimony of the accomplice is given.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. People v. Ellis

3. ““When the question of an accomplice arises in the trial of a case, the general and accepted rule is for the court to instruct the jury touching the law of accomplices, and leave the question whether or not the witness be an accomplice for the decision of the jury as a matter of fact.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. People v. Ellis