Hall v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 9 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 11 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Considering all of the evidence in the case, we find the error limiting Dr. Bernstein’s testimony sufficiently minor so as not to have affected Hall’s substantial rights. Peyton’s treating physician and the pathologist who performed Peyton’s autopsy both testified that Peyton died as a result of multiple blunt force trauma. In light of the concurring testimony of the physicians who treated Peyton and performed his autopsy, it is unlikely that the jury would have found that Peyton died from a different cause. For this reason, we conclude that the error excluding Dr. Bernstein’s theory of Peyton’s death did not interfere with Hall’s substantial rights.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Hall v. Superintendent · Ruiz v. State

2. “[T]he extraneous information concerned Hall’s fellow inmates’ opinions of his innocence and guilt. The fact that the inmates lived with Hall and once believed he was innocent, but changed their belief to guilt, renders the impression that the inmates had a special insight into Hall’s guilt — seemingly gained as a result of their frequent contact with Hall and ability to see Hall when he had not composed himself for a jury.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Hall v. Zenk · Hall v. Superintendent

3. “during trial juror David Daniels (“Daniels”) told alternate juror Gary Hopkins (“Hopkins”) that Daniels’ stepson was incarcerated with Hall and believed Hall to be innocent. At a later stage of trial, Daniels’ stepson and the other inmates changed their opinion and, by this time, believed Hall to be guilty. Although the inmates’ subsequent opinions were not communicated directly to Daniels, they were relayed to Daniels’ wife, and Daniels overheard his wife giving this information to another family member. Daniels conveyed this information to the remainder of the jury during deliberations.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Hall v. Superintendent