Emrich v. McNeil’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

9 federal appellate · 2 district · 30 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 42 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““But the important consideration which requires that the equity court — a court of competent jurisdiction — shall retain continuing and exclusive jurisdiction in the present case is one of public policy, i.e., the welfare of the minor child. Under such circumstances it is generally recognized that, independent of statute, a court of chancery has jurisdiction over the custody and maintenance of such a child. *** After submitting themselves to the jurisdiction of the court, the parents cannot by their agreement deprive it of power to control the custody and maintenance of the child. Such a child is in a very real sense the ward of the court. It has power to change the custody of the child; to enforce the parental obligation to provide maintenance; and, if necessary, to remove the child from the custody of both parents.””

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. Spires v. Spires · 69 Ill. 2d 220 - Sommer v. Borovic

2. “So long as they—and especially the child—remain subject to the jurisdiction of the District Court, public policy requires that it, * * * shall determine all questions of custody and maintenance.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the dissent
   e.g. Stevens v. Brown