Sorrells v. Coffield’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

42 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. ““In this case Sorrells testified that he was ‘entitled to my part of that if I sold that royalty’; that the land would be half his ‘when he (Coffield) received his money back’; and that these things might happen ‘in 10 years or ten days or twenty years or 20 days.’ And, under that version, he could truthfully have added, ‘or never/ The jury’s finding was that he was to become invested with his equitable title ‘as and when’ mineral interests were sold sufficient to reimburse Coffield. Clearly, therefore, the alleged agreement was wholly wanting in mutuality in that Sorrells was in no sense legally bound to perform, since that he might perform in TO years or ten days or twenty years or 20 days’ necessarily meant also that he was not bound ever to perform unless he elected to do so. So, under authority of Clayton et al v. An-cell et al and Nettles et ux v. Doss, supra, and the cases therein cited, we hold that the agreement was unenforceable under the statute of frauds.” See Clayton et al v. Ancell et al, 140 Tex. 441 , 168 S.W.2d 230 ; Nettles et ux v. Doss, Tex.Civ.App., 161 S.W.2d 138 (error refused.)”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Johnson v. Black