People v. Reingold’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

68 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 68 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “A conviction can not be had upon the testimony of an accomplice unless it be corroborated by such other evidence as shall tend to connect the defendant with the commission of the offense; and the corroboration is not sufficient if it merely shows the commission of the offense or the circumstances thereof.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 50 Cal. 2d 245 - People v. Lyons · 132 Cal. App. 3d 119 - People v. Martinez

2. ““While the jury may consider the circumstance that a witness is an accomplice, in passing upon his credibility as a witness ... his testimony is not to be rejected merely because he is an accomplice, and if there is other evidence which measures up to the requirement of the code .. ., tending to connect the defendant with the commission of the crime charged, then such testimony of the accomplice is to be considered by the jury, as is any other testimony, and must be given the weight to which the jurors may conclude that it is entitled. . . . The evidence tending to connect a defendant with the commission of the crime may be slight and, when standing by itself, entitled to but little consideration. . . . The law does not require that the evidence necessary to corroborate the testimony of an accomplice shall tend to establish the precise facts testified to by the accomplice; • and strong corroborative testimony is not necessary to support a judgment of conviction founded on the testimony of an accomplice. Even though circumstantial and slight, the evidence is, nevertheless, sufficient if it tends to connect the accused with the commission of the offense. . . . The defendant’s own statements and admissions, made in connection with other testimony, may afford corroboratory proof sufficient to sustain a verdict. ... It is not necessary that the corroborating evidence should go so far as to establish by itself, and without the aid of the testimony of an accomplice, that the defenda”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 126 Cal. App. 2d 394 - People v. Hooker

3. ““We may, therefore, epitomize the requirements of section 1111 of the Penal Code by saying, first, that the corroboration is not sufficient if it requires interpretation and direction to be furnished by the accomplice’s testimony to give it value; second, that the corroborative evidence to be sufficient and of the required substantial value must tend directly and immediately to connect the defendant with the offense charged against him; and, third, that the corroborative evidence is insufficient when it merely easts a grave suspicion upon the accused. ’ ’”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. People v. Houtman