Williams 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. “"Simmons contends that the State presented insufficient evidence to support a conviction of reckless murder. Specifically, he contends that the evidence showed that the shots fired were fired with the intention to kill a specific individual only and were not directed at human life in general. . . . "`Reckless murder' or, as it is sometimes called, `universal malice murder' or `depraved heart murder,' requires the prosecution to prove conduct that manifests an `extreme indifference to human life,' any human life. As noted above, Simmons contends that this section is not applicable to the present situation because, he says, the intended victim was a particular person. We disagree. "The fact that the families of Simmons and Peterson had been involved in an altercation the night before the child was killed is not in dispute. There was testimony that Peterson had fired shots at Simmons and at some of Simmons's family before the exchange of gunfire in which the child was killed. However, the evidence was that Simmons, as well as several others, was shooting firearms *Page 1032 indiscriminately in the general direction of the car in which the child was riding. This spraying of bullets occurred on a public street in a residential neighborhood in the middle of the day. That the one who fired the fatal shot may have intended to kill a particular person does not take this fact situation out of the scope or concept of reckless murder. Spraying gunfire openly on a public street is reckles”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 838 So. 2d 1028 - Ex Parte Williams

2. “"The evidence tended to show that, following a brief confrontation and in the midst of as many as 50 people, Williams and Thompkins drew a 9mm pistol and a .45-caliber pistol, respectively, and engaged in a gun battle. At some point during the shooting, William Glen Richardson, a bystander, was hit three times and killed. Another bystander was wounded. The forensic evidence showed that the bullets that caused Mr. Richardson's wounds entered his body from different directions. One bullet entered the left shoulder where it joins the neck, hit the carotid artery, and then exited through the left side of Richardson's jaw. This bullet was traveling from left to right. Another bullet entered the right side of the abdomen/chest area, lacerated Richardson's liver, intestines, and stomach and then exited through the left side of the abdomen. This bullet was traveling right to left and downward. The third bullet entered the front of Richardson's left leg below the knee and exited through the calf muscle, traveling in a downward direction. The medical examiner stated that all the wounds were of a size consistent with the bullets fired by both weapons; therefore, he could not determine whether one or both weapons inflicted any or all of the wounds. However, with the evidence indicating wound entry points on both sides of Richardson's body, the jury could reasonably infer that Richardson was hit by at least one shot from both Williams's gun and Thompkins's gun. The official cause of death”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 838 So. 2d 1028 - Ex Parte Williams

3. “"This case stemmed from an incident that took place in a cul-de-sac surrounded by an apartment complex. As many as 50 persons were gathered at an outdoor party, including Williams and Thompkins. Williams and Thompkins got into an argument that culminated in an exchange of gunfire between them. During the exchange one innocent bystander, William Glen Richardson, was killed and another bystander was wounded. The state medical examiner *Page 1030 determined that Richardson died from multiple gunshot wounds; however, he was unable to ascertain whether Williams's gun or Thompkins's gun had fired the fatal shots."”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 838 So. 2d 1028 - Ex Parte Williams