798 So. 2d 809 - Acosta v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

8 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 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Riley was the key witness for the state, and the state’s case hinged primarily on her credibility. She was an admitted participant in the crime, but was not charged. She testified that she had not, but that the appellant had forged the check. The state’s handwriting expert could only corroborate her testimony to the extent he believed it was “probable” that it was appellant’s handwriting. He found significant similarities between the signature on the check and appellant’s handwriting, and dissimilarities which could not be accounted for. This expert has various classifications which he uses to explain the strength of his opinion, and this classification was third from the strongest. Because Riley’s testimony was crucial and the defense’s main emphasis was on her lack of credibility, we cannot agree with the State that the error was harmless or that it was cured by the instruction. We therefore reverse and remand for a new trial.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 29 So. 3d 1093 - Tumblin v. State

2. “First, allowing one witness to offer a personal view on the credibility of a fellow witness is an invasion of the province of the jury to determine a witness’s credibility. Second, although the fact that two witnesses disagree does not necessarily establish that one is lying, such questioning may lead the jury to conclude that the witness being questioned is actually lying. Finally, unless there is {evidence that the witness is privy to the thought processes of the other witness, the witness is not competent to testify concerning the other’s state of mind.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Joseph v. State