Baker v. Humphrey’s Empirical Analysis
101 U.S. 494 · 1879
Citation profile
22 federal appellate · 4 district · 56 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 132 later decisions (8 by the Supreme Court) — most recently November 2013 · most notably Messenger v. Anderson (1912), Tower v. Glover (1984)
22 federal appellate · 4 district · 56 state decisions — followed in 21 states
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 Dickerson v. Colgrove · The President Recorder and Trustees of the City of Cincinnati v. The Lessee of Edward White · May v. Le Claire · Clements v. Moore
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 132 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
““The legal profession is found wherever Christian civilization exists. Without it, society could not well go on. But, like all other great instrumentalities, it may be potent for evil as well as for good. Hence the importance of keeping it on the high plane it ought to occupy. Its character depends upon the conduct of its members. They are officers of the law, as well as the agents of those by whom they are employed. Their fidelity is guaranteed by the highest considerations of honor and good faith, and to these is superadded the sanction of an oath. The slightest divergence from rectitude involves the breach of all these obligations. None are more honored or more deserving than those of the brotherhood who, uniting ability with integrity, prove faithful to their trusts and worthy of the confidence reposed in them. Courts of justice can best serve both the public and the profession by applying firmly upon all proper occasions the salutary rules which have been established for their government in doing the business of their clients. ’ ’”
5 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“that the complainant, Baker, deposit in the clerk’s office for the use of the defendant, George P. Humphrey, the sum of $25, and that Humphrey thereupon convey to Baker the premises described in the bill, and that the deed contain a covenant against the grantor’s own acts, and the demands of all | other persons claiming under him.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majoritye.g. Humphrey v. Baker““Chapman conveyed by a deed of quitclaim to the attorney’s brother. The attorney procured the deed to be so made. It was the same thing, in view of the law, as if it had been made to the attorney himself, neither of them was in any sense a bona fide purchaser. No one taking a quitclaim deed can stand in that relation.””
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
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.