987 So. 2d 1 - Williams 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. “In his second subclaim, the Defendant alleges that defense counsel failed to investigate “first and second stage evidence.” Specifically, the Defendant alleges that counsel was ineffective for failing to conduct an adequate pretrial investigation. At the evidentiary hearing, the Defendant’s trial counsel, Mr. Stokes, testified that he conducted “a lot of depositions”, and went to Miami and personally talked with all of the alibi witnesses provided by the Defendant. Mr. Stokes also testified that he spoke with the Defendant’s family about the Defendant’s past and background in Liberty City. The Defendant has failed to show how his counsel’s preparation was deficient, and fails to allege that there was a reasonable probability that the outcome would have been different had counsel prepared or investigated more. Accordingly, the Defendant is entitled to no relief on this claim. In his third subclaim, the Defendant alleges that defense counsel was ineffective for failing to present mitigating evidence or evidence contradicting the State’s aggravating circumstances. At the evidentiary hearing, Mr. Stokes testified that his trial strategy was to focus on the guilt phase, and to paint the Defendant as a normal individual who was not capable of murder and not the killer. Mr. stokes testified that in his professional opinion, presenting the defendant’s “Liberty City background and all of the drugs ... would lead the jury to believe he was capable of it.” Further, Mr. Stokes testified ”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 64 So. 3d 1210 - Coleman v. State

2. “Although Lovette did not fire the shots that killed the victims, he was a willing participant in the armed robbery of the store. These killings lessened the immediate detection of the robbery and apprehension of the perpetrators and, thus, furthered the robbery. There is a causal connection between the robbery and the homicides, and both Lovette and Wyatt are guilty of felony murder. The evidence, therefore, did not support an independent act theory as to the murders, and the court did not err in refusing to instruct the jury on such theory.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 4 So. 3d 1261 - Roberts v. State

3. “defense lawyer was aware that the presiding trial judge had already failed to follow life recommendations by other juries in the cases of Williams’ codefendants.” Id. at 12 . We found that”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Bradley v. State