Laux v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 21 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 22 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Although we agree that [the defendant's] lack of criminal history, work ethic, educational achievement, and remorse have value; we cannot ignore the brutality of the crime that he committed. In light of all of the cireumstances surrounding [the defendant's] crime, we are not persuaded that the sentence is inappropriate.”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Tosumba D. Welch v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) · Kincaid v. State

2. “Around 3 a.m. the following morning, Laux awoke and decided to "fix" Heidi. He dressed in two pairs of sweatpants, a sweatshirt, gloves, a hat, and a ski mask. He collected a flashlight and a crowbar and ran to Heidi's house. Upon arrival, Laux used the crowbar to pry open a coal chute and gain entrance to Heidi's house. He entered the basement through the chute and made his way upstairs. Laux proceeded to Heidi's bedroom, struck her three times with the crowbar, strangled her, and left. She died from her injuries within twenty minutes. The State charged Laux with murder, felony murder, and burglary resulting in bodily injury. It later requested a sentence of life in prison without parole. After a three-day trial, the jury found Laux guilty on all counts and recommended life in prison without parole. The trial court merged Laux's murder and felony murder convictions and sentenced him to life in prison without parole for the murder and a consecutive term of twenty years for the burglary.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Laux v. Zatecky · Fredrick Allen Laux v. State of Indiana

3. “indicate[ ] that vacating a jury verdict is the appropriate remedy rather than merger and entering a judgment of conviction only on the merged count.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. Green v. State · Morrison v. State