State v. Boyd’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

19 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 19 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““I think that when the evidence of guilt is in close balance with evidence of innocence, the Court must give to the defendant the benefit of any reasonable doubt regarding the impact of prejudicial testimony upon the fairness of his trial. I cannot say with ‘fair assurance’ that members of the jury were not substantially swayed by the detective’s improper testimony when they weighed the defendant’s word against .that of his accuser. Therefore, it is impossible for me to conclude that the defendant’s right to a fair trial was not substantially impugned by the incompetent and prejudicial testimony.””

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

2. ““Q. Did Wells describe his assailant? A. He did. “Q. Did he identify him in any other way? A. He did. “Q. In what way did he identify him ? A. I returned to Wells’ home at about twelve noon with the picture of James C. Boyd, alias 'Curley’. This picture is under our file number 7868 and he identified this picture. “Mr. Miller: I object to that and move for mistrial on the ground that it is prejudicial.””

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