Wiggins v. Rolls’s Empirical Analysis
1958
Citation profile
25 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 25 later decisions — most recently July 1995 · most notably 658 So. 2d 961 - G.W.B. v. J.S.W. (1995), 382 So. 2d 339 - Solomon v. McLucas (1980)
25 state decisions
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Relationships
Relies on Violet Van Natta Ide v. City of St. Cloud · In Re: Mary Elizabeth Whetstone · Fieldiing v. Highsmith · 60 So. 2d 186 - Graham v. State · 59 So. 2d 520 - Steets v. Gammarino
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 25 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“"`We deem it appropriate to emphasize that we are here dealing with the matter of adoption as distinguished from the matter of custody. The adoption decree finally and for all time determines the rights of the objecting parent. It completely severs the relationship of parent and child. The matter of what might appear to be for the best interests of a minor in determining temporary or prolonged custody will not always support a decree of adoption. Fielding v. Highsmith, 152 Fla. 837 , 13 So.2d 208 ; Browning v. Favreau, Fla. 1952, 60 So.2d 186 . "`We are not here losing sight of the rule that the courts will always consider first and primarily the welfare of the minor. At the same time we are of the view that due regard should be given to the rights of a natural parent. He should not be deprived of the privileges and responsibilities of parenthood against his consent unless in some fashion he has abandoned his offspring or has otherwise demonstrated that he is not a fit subject to continue to enjoy the privilege. In Steets v. Gammarino, Fla. 1952, 59 So.2d 520 , a case cited by both parties, we held that the conduct of a father in completely ignoring his child, failing to support him and totally disregarding every aspect of parental responsibility was sufficient to establish an abandonment that would justify a decree of adoption favorable to a stepfather. However, applying the rule of the last cited case in converse, we do not find in this record any element of abandonment by ”
11 later decisions quote this exact passage“promote the best interests of the child.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.