Morva v. Com.’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 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 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “To be admissible, evidence relating to a prison environment must connect the specific characteristics of the particular defendant to his future adaptability in the prison environment. It must be evidence peculiar to the defendant's character history and background in order to be relevant to the future dangerousness inquir[y]. "Conditions of the prison life and the security measures utilized in the maximum security facility are not relevant to the future dangerousness inquiry, unless such evidence is specific to the defendant on trial and relevant to that specific defendant's ability to adjust in prison life.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Lawlor v. Zook · State v. Schierman

2. “Conditions of the prison life and the security measures utilized in the maximum security facility are not relevant to the future dangerousness inquiry, unless such evidence is specific to the defendant on trial and relevant to that specific defendant's ability to adjust in prison life.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Lawlor v. Zook · State v. Schierman

3. “It is true that, in this case, unlike Porter [ v. Commonwealth, 276 Va. 203 , 661 S.E.2d 415 (2008) ], Dr. Cunningham proposed to provide testimony that concerns Morva's history and background, prior behavior while incarcerated, age and educational attainment, and such factors might bear on his adjustment to prison. However, other testimony Dr. Cunningham proposed to give, and to rely upon in giving a prison risk assessment for Morva, such as potential security interventions that "could be brought to bear" upon Morva, and the rates of assaults in the Virginia Department of Corrections, is, by statute, not relevant to the determination the jury has to make concerning Morva's future dangerousness and therefore would not be admissible evidence.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. State v. Schierman · State v. Schierman