Lawson v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

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

1. “Lawson enrolled in a treatment program very soon after sentencing. The rules and regulations of this program, which were explained to Lawson before his first session, provide that an individual is subject to discharge after three absences. After missing nine sessions, Lawson was terminated from the program. In an attempt to work with Lawson and his alleged transportation problems, the program administrator reinstated Lawson to the program with the understanding that he miss no more sessions. However, Lawson again missed a class and was discharged from the program. . . . At the revocation hearing, the trial judge inquired of Lawson why he missed nine classes: Q. You missed nine classes. A. Yes, sir. Q. Tell me why you missed nine classes. A. Well, the first time I missed three classes, I figured they had already kicked me out. Then I talked to my probation officer. He said to call back to see if I could get back into the class. I called back, and they accepted me back into the program. I tried to like finish all of them. Every week—I had one class a week. I was going to all my classes. I just missed one. I knew I had missed a class. Q. I'm asking you why you missed nine classes before you were given an extra chance. A. I have no idea, sir. No transportation.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 969 So. 2d 222 - Lawson v. State

2. “the defendant [wa]s in violation of his probation, a substantial violation. Officer McSweeney from the Department of Corrections testified that he was the supervisor of this defendant, that he was instructed on 7/16/04 of the conditions of his probation, one of those conditions being condition 40. The defendant was on drug offender probation, was assigned to a particular class at western judicial, and that he was unsuccessfully discharged. His reasons for absences are not persuasive to this Court. Therefore he is in violation of his probation.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 969 So. 2d 222 - Lawson v. State

3. “If we reduce Lawson's argument to its essence, Lawson is actually telling us that he will be the one to decide when he submits to drug treatment and that he will be the one to decide how many chances he will have to complete it. We simply cannot accept the perverse notion that such decisions should be left to the whim or caprice of any criminal defendant, much less one like Lawson who has twice thumbed his nose at the trial court, his drug counselor, and his probation officer.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the concurrence
   e.g. Jenkins v. State