Norton v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

29 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 29 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “When a defendant has been detained in custody or held to bail for his appearance to answer any criminal accusation before the district court, the prosecution, unless otherwise ordered by the court, for good cause shown, supported by affidavit, shall be dismissed and the bail discharged, if indictment or information be not presented against such defendant at the next term of the court which is held after his commitment or admission to bail.”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Ex Parte Mallares · Ex Parte Lawson

2. “If a motion to set aside an indictment, information, or complaint for failure to provide a speedy trial as required by Article 32A. 02 is sustained, the court shall discharge the defendant. A discharge under this article is a bar to any further prosecution for the offense discharged or for any other offense arising out of the same transaction.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Fisk v. State · Holleman v. State

3. “(a) Requiring the State to formally charge a defendant within a specified time is far less burdensome than requiring it to be ready for trial within a specified time. (b) The Houston grand juries have six-month terms; there is much less pressure to indict in six months than to go to trial in that length of time. (c) The good cause exception serves as a procedural safeguard to allow the prosecutor to present facts such as those in Bark er or as might otherwise justify a late indictment.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Ex Parte Torres