Singleton v. Lockhart’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

21 federal appellate · 1 district · 10 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 41 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “(a) The jury shall impose a sentence of death if it unanimously returns written findings that: (1) Aggravating circumstances exist beyond a reasonable doubt; and (2) Aggravating circumstances outweigh beyond a reasonable doubt all mitigating circumstances found to exist; and (3) Aggravating circumstances justify a sentence of death beyond a reasonable doubt.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Williams v. Norris · Whitmore v. Lockhart

2. “Prior to trial, [Singleton's counsel] requested that Singleton be given a psychiatric examination. Accordingly, Singleton was sent to the Arkansas State Hospital, where he was administered a battery of tests and was examined by a psychologist and a psychiatrist. The results of the tests and the examination revealed that Singleton has a full scale IQ of 83, which places him within tire dull normal range of intellectual functioning. He appeared to be reading at nearly a seventh grade level.... The examining psychiatrist’s report concluded that: It is the opinion of the examining psychiatrist that Charles Lavern Singleton is not mentally ill to Lhe degree of legal irresponsibility at the time of this examination and probably was not at the time of the commission of the alleged offense. It is further the opinion of the examining psychiatrist that Mr. Singleton has the mental capacity to understand the proceedings aginist [sic] him and has the mental capacity to assist effectively in his own defense; and, that he was probably not suffering from mental disease or defect of such degree as to make him unable to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirments [sic] of the law. The examining psychiatrist's report showed Singleton’s diagnosis to be: "1) Without psychosis 2) Habitual Excessive Drinking 3) Antisocial Personality, Severe.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Singleton v. Norris

3. “that in the face of [the defendant's] knowing, intelligent waiver, [his attorney] was under no duty to do otherwise than he did.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Snell v. Al Lockhart Snell