991 So. 2d 593 - Williams v. State’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

42 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 42 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Where evidence of a prior conviction is a necessary element of the crime for which the defendant is on trial (i.e., pos session of firearm by a convicted felon), but evidence of the specific nature of the crime for which the defendant was previously convicted (i.e., armed robbery), is not an essential element of the crime for which the defendant is on trial ... the trial court should accept a defendant’s offer to stipulate and grant a limiting instruction.”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Darius Santwain Jones v. State of Mississippi · Timms v. State

2. “If during the course of trial, the prosecution attempts to introduce evidence which has not been timely disclosed to the defense as required by these rules, and the defense objects to the introduction for that reason, the court shall act as follows: 1. Grant the defense a reasonable opportunity to ... examine the newly produced documents, photographs or other evidence; and 2. If, after such opportunity, the defense claims unfair surprise or undue prejudice and seeks a continuance or mistrial, the court shall, in the interest of justice and absent unusual circumstances, exclude the evidence or grant a continuance for a period of time reasonably necessary for the defense to meet the non-disclosed evidence or grant a mistrial.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Michael Donaldson v. State of Mississippi · Sean Land v. State of Mississippi

3. “Harmless[ ]errors are those which in the setting of a particular case are so unimportant and insignificant that they may, consistent with the Federal Constitution, be deemed harmless, not requiring the automatic reversal of the conviction.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Jeffrey Martin v. State of Mississippi · 53 So. 3d 7 - Kirkwood v. State