Lanferman v. Vanzile’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

27 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 27 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““The statute having expressly declared that the adopted child shall inherit from the adopted (adoptive) parent, and having omitted to declare that the adopted parent shall inherit from the child, we think it must be held, according to the rules of construction, that the general law of inheritance was not intended to be Changed in favor of the adopted (adoptive) parent, and that the estate of the adopted child, upon his death without a will, must descend to his kindred of blood as prescribed by section 1, eh. 92, R. S. 1858 as amended. That the word ‘parents’ in subdivision 2 of section 1, ch. 92, means natural parents, and not parents by adoption, cannot be doubted. All the other provisions of the section refer to kindred of blood of the deceased; and the word ‘parents’, both by derivation and common understanding, means the natural parents.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Dodson v. Ward

2. ““It is not argued in the case at bar anywhere or by anybody that an adopting father has, by virtue of the statute, or by virtue of the relationship, assumed through the statute any right of inheritance from the adopted son such as a natural father would have. It is nowhere claimed that the adopting parent has any such right of inheritance as would a natural parent. It is not claimed anywhere that he is a ‘parent’ in the sense in which we commonly know.that word. So far, therefore, it must be admitted by any reasoning mind -that the one adopting is not the ‘parent’ of the adopted child in the sense that he takes under any statute or any law the right to inherit from'the one whom he has adopted.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Brewer v. Browning

3. “The statute regulating the descent of real estate is section 1393, Ky. Statutes, which provides that when a person shall die intestate his real estate shall descend “first to his children and their descendants;” but section 1401, [now KRS 391.-020(1) ] which is a part of the same chapter, and is one of the limitations upon section 1393 [now KRS 391.010], is as follows: [Here is quoted the text of what is now KRS 391.020(2).]”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Francis v. Justice