Egger v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

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

1. “[I]f ... you further find from the evidence, or you have a reasonable doubt thereof, that at the time of such conduct by the Defendant, if any, the Defendant reasonably believed that such conduct on his part was immediately necessary to avoid imminent harm, to-wit: to prevent the commission of third trimester abortions from being performed in the property of Betty Petti-grew and that the desirability and urgency of avoiding the harm caused by third trimester abortions, according to ordinary standards of reasonableness, clearly outweighed the harm sought to be prevented by the law proscribing the remaining in the property of Betty Petti-grew, without her effective consent after having notice to depart by oral communication from the said Betty Pettigrew, then you will acquit the Defendant and say by your verdict not guilty.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Thomas v. State

2. “(a) It is a defense to prosecution that the actor through mistake formed a reasonable belief about a matter of fact if his mistaken belief negated the kind of culpability required for commission of the offense. (b) Although an actor’s mistake of fact may constitute a defense to the offense charged, he may nevertheless be convicted of any lesser included offense of which he would be guilty if the fact were as he believed.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Durden v. State