Coleman v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

13 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 13 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “where a person is convicted of a crime and through no fault of his own is effectively denied his right to perfect his appeal within the time prescribed by law by the acts of his attorney or the trial court.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. McGruder v. State · 991 So. 2d 588 - Edmond v. State

2. “Jury Instruction No. 2 The Court instructs the jury that if you believe from the evidence in this case beyond a reasonable doubt that the State has proven all of the elements of Murder, to-wit: 1. that on or about April 12, 1970, in Humphreys County, Mississippi, 2. Rainey Poole, a human being, was killed and murdered, and 3. that such killing was done with the deliberate design to effect the death of Rainey Poole, and 4. was not in necessary self-defense, and if you further believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the Defendant, JAMES "DOC" CASTON, was present, consenting, aiding and abetting or encouraging the commission of the said elements of said crime, then you should find the Defendant, JAMES "DOC" CASTON. guilty of Murder. Jury Instruction No. 8 The Court instructs the Jury that it is not sufficient to find a person guilty because he merely was present at the time and place of the commission of a crime. His mere presence standing alone is not sufficient for him to be found to have committed the criminal act. Accordingly, it is your sworn duty to find the Defendants, or any one of them, not guilty unless you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that he actively, knowingly and willingly participated in the murder of Rainey Pool. The Defendants, or any one of them, must act with knowledge and deliberation and have some cognizant involvement on his part to commit a crime in order to be found guilty of murder. Jury Instruction No. 10 The Court i”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 823 So. 2d 473 - Caston v. State

3. “Jury instructions `[a]re to be taken collectively rather than be given individual consideration. So long as all the instructions read together adequately and properly instruct the jury on the issues, an individual instruction given to the jury will not constitute reversible error.'”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 823 So. 2d 473 - Caston v. State