Williams v. United States’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 federal appellate · 15 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 18 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Although this case was argued on the theory that appellant was charged with the offense of common prostitution, the fact is otherwise. She is charged under a statute which makes it an offense to invite, entice, or persuade a person in or upon a public street in the District of Columbia to accompany her to her residence for the purpose of prostitution or any other immoral or lewd purpose. She is not charged with the offense of prostitution. Perhaps a more common designation of the offense charged would be ‘street-walking,’ which is ordinarily punished as disorderly conduct or indecent behavior on the public highway.” Id. at 307 .”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. In re Appeal No. 180

2. “[T]here was no proof that defendant’s purpose was among those which the statute prohibits. The government’s evidence was that she approached a policeman’s car on a certain street and "asked him if he wanted a date;’’ that he answered yes; that she asked if she should get in the car, and he answered yes; that she got in the car and asked “if he wanted to drive and talk." Defendant’s purpose was at worst ambiguous. There was no evidence that the parties were strangers to each other; and even if they were, the proposed “date" did not necessarily include prostitution.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Ford v. United States