RACKLIFF v. PETERS’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

6 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 6 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Under the charter of the city of St. Joseph public work of the nature of paving streets must be authorized by ordinance, duly ordained in accordance with the charter and framed as directed by the charter. It seems that prior to the year 1903 no definite requirement was found in the charter as to the time within which public work was to be done when let to the contractor. But in that year an amendment was asked and obtained from the Legislature requiring ordinances to definitely name the time for the completion of the work; and directing that if afterwards any change was made in such definite time, it should be made by ordinance, and prescribing how the ordinance should be made in order to accomplish the purposes mentioned. [Laws 1903, p. 61, sec. 9.] Such charter provisions read as follows: “ ‘All contracts relating to any of the improvements herein contemplated shall be made by said board, and shall be awarded to the lowest and best bidder. . . . Every ordinance for public improvements of any kind to be let to the lowest and best bidder shall fix the time within which such work shall be completed after the contract therefor shall be awarded. . . . The common council shall not give its consent by ordinance, resolution or otherwise more than twice for any extension of time for the completion of the work under any contract, nor for a longer period than four months each time, and not then unless the contractor, together with the sureties on his bond shall first file with the co”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Cushing v. Richardson