Stokes v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 9 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 11 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[O]n the evening of December 18, 2008, several people were present at Big Engine Entertainment (“Big Engine”), a recording studio in Indianapolis owned by Gregory Arnold, Jr. At approximately 7:00 p.m., Shontez Simmons, an employee of Big Engine, went outside the studio building to smoke a cigarette. While outside, she saw Antonio Walker (“Antonio”) and Antwane Walker (“Ant-wane”), two of her cousins, arrive and enter the building. The two men went into the building and spoke briefly to another Big Engine employee, Edriese Phillips. Antonio and Antwane then left the building. Minutes later, Antonio and Antwane returned to the building accompanied by Stokes, Curtis Stokes (“Curtis”), Terry Lynem, and an unidentified man referred to as Marcus. Stokes was carrying a black trash bag that contained an assault rifle. Once inside the building, Antonio and Antwane entered the recording room where Arnold, Jr. was working. Also present in the room were Andrew Steele, Fred Winfield, and Shantell Williams. Another individual, Earnest Simmons (“Earnest”), was in an adjacent recording booth. Antonio greeted Arnold, Jr. and then asked to speak to Steele in the hallway. Steele walked to the hallway escorted by Antonio and followed by Antwane. Once in the hallway, Antonio pointed a handgun in Steele’s face and said, “Get down, you know what this is.” Meanwhile, Stokes, who was already in the hallway, pulled the assault rifle out of the trash bag and began firing it, also saying, “Get down, yo”

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

2. “Upon review of a claim of insufficient evidence, we neither reweigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of the witnesses. We will affirm a conviction unless, considering only the evidence and reasonable inferences favorable to the verdict, we conclude that no reasonable fact-finder could find the elements of the erime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. It is therefore not necessary that the evidence overcome every reasonable hypothesis of innocence. Instead, the evidence is sufficient if an inference may reasonably be drawn from it to support the jury's verdict.”

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

3. “Knowledge and intent are both mental states and, absent an admission by the defendant, the trier of fact must resort to the reasonable inferences from both the direct and circumstantial evidence to determine whether the defendant has the requisite knowledge or intent to commit the offense in question.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. A.J.R. v. State of Indiana