State v. Ransberger’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 federal appellate · 20 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 23 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “'Absolute knowledge can be had of very few things,' ... and the philosopher might add 'if any.' For most practical purposes 'knowledge' is not confined to what we have personally observed or to what we have evolved by our own cognitive faculties.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. United States v. Jewell · United States v. Aguilar

2. ““If is true the statute provides that, when the prosecuting attorney is informed of the commission of an offense hy the affidavit of another, it shall be his duty to file an information. But this language ought not to be so construed as to give the prosecuting attorney no discretion in the premises; such construction would nullify the constitutional provision requiring criminal charges to he preferred by grand juries or sworn officers who stand indifferent between accused parties and the state, and would subject the citizen to harassment by a criminal prosecution haring no higher basis than the malice of his enemy. * * * The knowledge [of the commission of the offense] the statute requires of him may be acquired in various ways; he may have personal knowledge of some of the facts, and information from others as to other facts, or information from others as to all the facts.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Stainer v. San Luis Valley Land & Mining Co.