United States v. Dotson’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

27 federal appellate · 12 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 46 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[t]he credibility of a witness may be attacked or supported by evidence in the form of opinion ... [that] refer[s] only to character for truthfulness.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. United States v. Garza · United States v. McMurray

2. “In the absence of some underlying basis to demonstrate that the opinions were more than bare assertions that the defendant and his witnesses were persons not to be believed, the opinion evidence should not have been admitted ..... We do not hold that government agents may never testify as to the truthfulness of a defendant or defense witnesses. Nor do we hold that a government agent's opinion of a witness's character may never be based exclusively on what the agent learned on an official investigation. But the fact that one has conducted an investigation of the defendant, has known the defendant, or has had minimal contact with defendant's witnesses is not a sufficiently reliable basis under Rules 608(a) and 701 for that witness, over objection, to put before the jury the opinion that they are liars. 799 F.2d at 193-94 .”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 556 So. 2d 728 - Rose v. State · 737 So. 2d 275 - Edwards v. State

3. “[a]n opinion, or indeed any form of testimony, without the underlying facts, may be excluded if it amounts to no more than a conclusory observation”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Lips v. American Community · United States v. Bear