Carter v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

6 federal appellate · 37 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 46 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “admitted to killing one woman in Ohio and stealing her car, driving it to Missouri where an elderly couple was killed for them car, driving that car to Oklahoma where Mrs. Ruddell was killed and her pickup taken by [Gilbert] and his co-defendant to New Mexico. This is ample evidence to support the jury’s finding the murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing lawful arrest or prosecution.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Gilbert v. Mullin · Gilbert v. Gibson

2. “[Mr. Carter] had been fired from his job as a security officer at the Oklahoma Auto Auction approximately two (2) weeks before the murder. [Mr. Carter] knew of the existence of the wrecker at the auction, having driven it during his employment. The theft and murder were carried out during the early morning hours when the decedent was the sole person on the premises. There was no evidence of a struggle in the guard shack. The decedent was felled by one gunshot wound to the head. Soot found in the wound indicated the gun had been held next to the skin when fired. The bullet passed completely through the decedent’s brain. [Mr. Carter] told both [Mr .] Denson and [Ms.] Lewis that he killed a man because he had no other choice. Despite evidence that [Mr. Carter] had never met the decedent and had left his employment at the auction amicably, sufficient circumstantial evidence exists to support a conclusion that [Mr. Carter] killed the decedent in order to avoid identification and arrest for the theft of the wrecker. The only way in or out of the Auto Auction was through the gate situated next to the guard house.... The evidence supports the conclusion that in order to avoid detection when entering the Auto Auction or leaving the site with a vehicle, [Mr. Carter] had to eliminate the person in the guard shack. Ample evidence was presented to support the jury’s finding that this execution-style murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing lawful arrest or prosecutio”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 27 F. App'x 934 - Carter v. Gibson

3. “The State presented evidence which clearly showed [Mr. Carter’s] involvement in the robbery and homicide at the Oklahoma Auto Auction. [Mr. Carter] and [Mr.] Summers had talked about getting another wrecker for the body shop. [Mr. Carter] knew where a wrecker was located at the Oklahoma Auto Auction. [Mr. Carter] was in possession of bolt cutters, having borrowed them from a friend. Two (2) .38 caliber slugs, one taken from the decedent, were found at the scene. A few months earlier, [Mr. Carter] had borrowed .38 caliber bullets from Mr. Summers’ father. [Mr. Carter] admitted owning a .38 caliber handgun, but said he had gotten rid of it five (5) months prior to the murder. Boot prints, consistent with boots worn by [Mr. Carter] were found along the fence line, and near a thirty (30) inch gap in the fence. A few hours after being left at the auction yard, [Mr. Carter] was seen in possession of a wrecker taken from the Auto Auction. [Mr. Carter] subsequently admitted to two different people he had killed a man. [Mr. Carter] attempted to dispose of the truck from the auction by removing the wrecker assembly, repainting the truck and eventually burning it.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 27 F. App'x 934 - Carter v. Gibson