Vest v. State Ex Rel. New Mexico Human Services Department’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 district · 68 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 70 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[i]t is well established ... that parents do not have absolute rights in their children; rather, parental rights are secondary to the best interests and welfare of the children.”

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. STATE OF NM EX REL. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT v. John R. · Matter of Adoption of JJB

2. “[W]hen dealing with children, the district court is exercising its equitable powers ____ The touchstone of equity is that it is flexible; the court of equity has the power of devising its remedy and shaping it so as to fit the changing circumstances of every case and the complex relations of all the parties____ [T]he comprehensiveness of this equitable jurisdiction is not to be denied or limited in the absence of a clear and valid legislative command.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Sanders v. Rosenberg

3. “[B]ecause granting visitation rights does infringe on a parent's custody, it is appropriate to limit this decision to situations such as this where the party seeking visitation has acted in a custodial or parental capacity.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Tue Thi Tran v. Bennett