United States v. Lyons’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

36 federal appellate · 1 district · 10 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 55 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[W]hat definition of 'mental disease or defect' is to be employed by courts enforcing the criminal law is, in the final analysis, a question of legal, moral and policy-not of medical-judgment.”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. United States v. McIntosh · Waterman v. State

2. “In the first place, there is an element of reasoned choice when an addict knowingly acquires and uses drugs; he could instead have participated in an addiction treatment program. [Citation omitted.] A person is not to be excused for offending “simply because he wanted to very, very badly.” [Citation omitted.] Second, since the defense of insanity is “essentially an acknowl-edgement on the part of society that because of mental disease or defect certain classes of wrongdoers are not properly the subjects of criminal punishment,” [citation omitted] it seems anomalous to immunize narcotics addicts from other criminal sanctions when Congress has decreed severe penalties for mere possession and sale of narcotics. [Citation omitted.] In addition, Congress has dealt with the problem of responsibility of narcotics addicts for their crimes by providing for civil commitment and treatment of addicts in lieu of prosecution or sentencing. [Citation omitted]. Finally, what definition of “mental disease or defect” is to be employed by courts enforcing the criminal law is, in the final analysis, a question of legal, moral and policy — not of medical — judgment. [Footnote omitted.] Among the most basic purposes of the criminal law is that of preventing a person from injuring others or, perhaps to a lesser degree, himself. This purpose and others appropriate to law enforcement are not necessarily served by an uncritical application of definitions developed with medical considerations of diagno”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Commonwealth v. Tate

3. “"Today the great weight of legal authority clearly supports the view that evidence of mere narcotics addiction [or narcotics abuse] standing alone and without other physiological or psychological involvement, raises no issue of such a mental defect or disease as can serve as a basis for the insanity defense."”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 534 So. 2d 329 - Hooks v. State