738 So. 2d 217 - Willie v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

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 10 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[U]pon the entry of a valid plea under the statutes in effect at the time of Willie's crime, Willie could only have been sentenced by the trial judge to life in prison. Sentencing Willie to life in prison without parole under the new statute, would, therefore, be harsher than the only option for sentencing in such plea situations. Thus, if Willie chooses to plead guilty on remand, the trial judge may sentence him to life in prison. However, if Willie agrees to a sentence of life in prison without parole, the trial judge should take care to ascertain that Willie has validly waived his ex post facto rights — before accepting the plea agreement. Moreover, in recent cases, this Court has noted that similar ex post facto ramifications do not exist when such cases are remanded for consideration by a sentencing jury.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 892 So. 2d 187 - Twillie v. State

2. “`a plea of guilty to a charge does not waive a claim that-judged on its face-the charge is one which the State may not constitutionally prosecute.'”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 42 So. 3d 503 - Rowland v. State