Brown v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

4 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 4 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[Defense Counsel]: To an extent it does, but it also reflects upon his lack of judgment as a result of having been engaged in the use, heavy use of alcohol and drugs before he contacted the police. Most sensible people, I would think most sensible people wouldn’t call the police and say come and get me and talk about homicide. The Court: I’m going to cut this real short. That’s a problem for the jury, as far as I’m concerned. At this time I’m convinced by a preponderance of the evidence that what he—whatever statements he made orally or written were freely and voluntarily given and as a consequence your motion to suppress any and all statements in this case are denied. Always a pleasure to see you gentlemen. [Defense Counsel]: And you, Your Honor.”

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

2. “It is now axiomatic that a defendant in a criminal case is deprived of due process of law if his conviction is founded, in whole or in part, upon an involuntary confession, without regard for the truth or falsity of the confession ... and even though there is ample evidence aside from the confession to support the conviction____ Equally clear is the defendant’s constitutional right at some stage in the proceedings to object to the use of the confession and to have a fair hearing and a reliable determination on the issue of voluntariness, a determination uninfluenced by the truth or falsity of the confession.”

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