Smith v. United States’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. “If the trial court erroneously impaired the exercise of this constitutional right [to present a defense], and the objection to the error has been preserved, the defendant’s conviction may stand only if the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Simmons v. United States · In Re DE

2. “Our standard of review for claims of evidentiary insufficiency requires that the evidence be viewed in the light most favorable to the government. In applying that standard, we recognize that it is the province of the trier of fact to determine the credibility of the witnesses and to make reasonable inferences from the evidence presented. All reasonable inferences must be drawn in favor of the government, and deference must be given to the [trier of fact’s] right to determine credibility and weigh evidence. We continue to adhere to the proposition that the government is not required to negate every possible inference [of innocence] before an accused may be found guilty of an offense beyond a reasonable doubt. It is only where the government has produced no evidence from which a reasonable mind might fairly infer guilt beyond a reasonable doubt that this court can reverse a conviction.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Cunningham v. United States

3. “[W]ithout hearing [the witness's trial] testimony, the court determined that it would be incredible in light of [the witness's] admission at the [prior] proceeding.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. In Re DE