Drury v. Lang’s Empirical Analysis
1989
Citation profile
34 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 34 later decisions — most recently October 2025 · most notably Tammila G. v. State, Department of Human Resources (2006), Matter of Parental Rights as to NJ (2000)
34 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 Champagne v. WELFARE DIV. OF NEV. STATE DEPT. · Sernaker v. Ehrlich · Carson v. Lowe · Casper v. Huber · Pyborn v. Quathamer
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 34 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“tantamount to imposition of a civil death penalty.”
3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“The primary consideration in any proceeding to terminate parental rights must be whether the best interests of the child will be served by the termination. An order of the court for termination of parental rights must be made in light of the considerations set forth in this section and NRS 128.106 to 128.109, inclusive, and based on evidence and include a finding that: 1. The best interests of the child would be served by the termination of parental rights; and 2. The conduct of the parent or parents demonstrated at least one of the following: (a) Abandonment of the child; (b) Neglect of the child; (c) Unfitness of the parent; (d) Failure of parental adjustment; (e) Risk of serious physical, mental or emotional injury to the child if he were returned to, or remains in, the home of his parent or parents; (f) Only token efforts by the parent or parents: (1) To support or communicate with the child; (2) To prevent neglect of the child; (3) To avoid being an unfit parent; or (4) To eliminate the risk of serious physical, mental or emotional injury to the child; or (g) With respect to termination of the parental rights of one parent, the abandonment by that parent.”
2 later decisions 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.