Hightower v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

16 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 16 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “... before a trial court is allowed to utilize a closed-circuit system of transmitting a child’s testimony into the courtroom, the court must hear evidence and make a case-specific determination that: First, [the] use of the ... procedure is necessary to protect the welfare of the ... child; Second ... the child witness would be traumatized, not by the courtroom generally, but by the presence of the defendant; and Third ... the emotional distress suffered by the child ... in the presence of the defendant is ... more than mere nervousness or excitement or some reluctance to testify.”

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

2. “recognized the importance of protecting young children from the turmoil associated with having to give testimony in a courtroom and has acted to eliminate or alleviate that trauma within the parameters of the Constitution.”

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

3. “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to be confronted with the witnesses against him.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Rangel v. State