Griffin v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 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 15 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Because "enter" is defined exactly the same for burglary of a building or habitation as it is for burglary of a vehicle, the element of intrusion into a building or habitation under § 30.02 should be of the same nature as intrusion into a vehicle under § 30.04. Stealing a mailbox or a window shutter attached to the side of a house would not be entry so as to constitute burglary. Similarly, stealing a hood ornament or antenna attached to the outside of a vehicle would not be entry so as to constitute burglary of a vehicle. Tires and hubcaps are analogous to these examples, because no entry of any part of the vehicle is effected. Contrast the taking of something from inside the trunk, inside the hood, or from the interior of the vehicle. There must be a "breaking of the close" to have entry in the sense long established for burglary. The protection is to the interior or enclosed part of the described object, be it a house, a building or a vehicle. Cf. Galemore [v. State, 124 Tex.Crim. 77 , 61 S.W.2d 519 (1933)], where opening a door and looking in is not burglary because there is no entry. Taking items attached to the outside of the vehicle, house, or building that does not reflect an entry into an interior or enclosed part of the described object in order to steal does not constitute the offense of burglary. Since the burglary of a vehicle statute evolved from the "regular" burglary statutes, the interpretation of entry should be consistent. Therefore, we hold that taking the ”

   5 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Ford v. State · Williams v. State

2. “(a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, he breaks into or enters a vehicle or any part of a vehicle with intent to commit any felony or theft. (b) For purposes of this section, “enter” means to intrude: (1) any part of the body; or (2) any physical object connected with the body.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Ford v. State · Richardson v. State

3. “to intrude any part of the body or any physical object connected with the body”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 773 So. 2d 46 - Drew v. State