Watson v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

21 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. “[A] charge requiring the jury to find that a defendant acted alone increases the State’s burden and thus benefits the defendant. In the instant case then the State would have had to satisfy a heavier burden in proving to the jury that the appellant acted alone in committing the burglary. If anything, appellant was helped by the court’s charge. We find the error to have been harmless.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Bruton v. State · Johnson v. State

2. “A person is criminally responsible as a party to an offense if the offense is committed by his own conduct, or by the conduct of another for which he is criminally responsible, or both. Each party to an offense may be charged with the commission of the offense. Mere presence alone will not make a person a party to an offense. A person is criminally responsible for an offense committed by the conduct of another if, acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense. Therefore, if you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant either by his own conduct, in Randall County, Texas, on or about the 5th day of August, 1990, did then and there intentionally or knowingly, with intent to commit theft, enter a building which was not then open to the public, without the effective consent of Cynthia Ann Backus, the owner thereof, or acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, solicited, encouraged, directed, aided, or attempted to aid ETHEL WANDELL McEWEN to commit the offense charged, as defined above and that the said ETHEL WAN-DELL McEWEN, in Randall County, Texas, on or about the 5th day of August, 1990, did then and there intentionally or knowingly, with intent to commit theft, enter a building which was not then open to the public, without the effective consent of Cynthia Ann Backus, the owner thereof, you will f”

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

3. “Now, if you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the Defendant, Terry Wayne Bruton, ... did then and there intentionally or knowingly, while in the course of committing theft of property and with intent to obtain or maintain control of the said property, threaten and place Rickey Rice in fear of imminent bodily injury or death, and you further find that the Defendant did then and there use or exhibit a deadly weapon, to-wit: a roofing hatchet, ... then you will find the Defendant guilty of aggravated robbery; or if you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that an unknown person ... did then and there intentionally or knowingly, while in the course of committing theft of property and with intent to obtain or maintain control of the said property, threaten and place Rickey Rice in fear of imminent bodily injury or death, and you further find that the unknown person did then and there use or exhibit a deadly weapon, to-wit: a roofing hatchet ... and that the Defendant, Terry Wayne Bruton, then and there, acting with intent to;promote or assist the commission of the offense, if any, aided an unknown person to commit the offense, if any, by his oum actions and conduct during the commission of the said offense, if any, then you will find the Defendant guilty of aggravated robbery. Unless you so find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt or if you have a reasonable doubt thereof, then you will find the Defendant not guilty of aggravated robbery_ [E”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Bruton v. State