Commonwealth v. Beaulieu’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 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 5 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[W]e are unable to determine whether 'defense counsel's asserted failures may in fact have been the considered product of a tactical decision'”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 1117 - Commonwealth v. Francois · 93 Mass. App. Ct. 1113 - Commonwealth v. Morton

2. “raises this issue for the first time on appeal, presenting the weakest form of such a challenge because it is bereft of any explanation by trial counsel for his[, her, or their] actions and suggestive of strategy contrived by a defendant viewing the case with hindsight.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 93 Mass. App. Ct. 1117 - Commonwealth v. Francois

3. “[s]uch evidence may be admitted 'to show a common scheme or course of conduct, a pattern of operation, absence of accident or mistake, intent, or motive.'”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. COMMONWEALTH v. WAYNE FOREMAN.