Troy v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 23 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 26 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[N]ot violated merely because some persons are treated differently than other persons. It only requires that persons similarly situated be treated similarly. In the absence of a fundamental right or a protected class, equal protection demands only that a distinction which results in unequal treatment bear some rational relationship to a legitimate state purpose. This is known as the rational basis test.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Fredman v. Fredman · G.W. v. State

2. “We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding Ga-lemore’s testimony. First, it should be noted that Galemore’s testimony was offered during the penalty phase of Troy’s trial, which lasted over four and a half days. Defense counsel called twenty-nine witnesses during this phase, indicating that the judge was not categorically excluding mitigation evidence or the presentation of defense witnesses. Furthermore, Galemore had never met Troy, nor had he ever witnessed Troy during one of his periods of incarceration, making his potential assessment regarding Troy’s possible prison experience entirely speculative. When considered in context of the entire penalty phase, the other witnesses called, and the arguments defense counsel nevertheless made regarding a possible life sentence, the exclusion of Galemore as a witness was not an abuse of discretion.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Troy v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections

3. “The trial judge made clear that defense counsel still had the right to argue potential parole ineligibility to the jury as a mitigating factor, to present evidence as to whether Troy would pose a threat to prison personnel or other inmates, and to argue whether he was well-suited to imprisonment. Defense counsel made use of all of these options, presenting witnesses in mitigation regarding Troy’s behavior in prison, 9 and arguing during closing that, if the jury chose life imprisonment, “John Troy will be in prison until the day he dies.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Troy v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections