Stevens v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

4 federal appellate · 57 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 63 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “There is a strong presumption that counsel rendered adequate assistance and made all significant decisions in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment. Counsel is afforded considerable discretion in choosing strategy and tactics, and these decisions are entitled to deferential review. Isolated mistakes, poor strategy, inexperience, and instances of bad judgment do not necessarily render representation ineffective.”

   5 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Stephenson v. State · Parish v. State

2. “show from the information available in the trial record or otherwise known to appellate counsel that appellate counsel failed to present a significant and obvious issue and that this failure cannot be explained by any reasonable strategy.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Concepcion v. State · Williamson v. State

3. “(ilt is thus evident that the court carefully considered and purposefully used of the individual findings proposed by the State.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Thompson v. State · Williams v. State