Evansville v. Dennett’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

103 federal appellate · 10 district · 31 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 176 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““As therefore the recitals in the bonds import compliance with the city’s charter, purchasers for value, having no notice of the nonperformance of the conditions precedent, were not bound to go behind the statute conferring the power to subscribe and to ascertain, by an examination of the ordinances and records of the city council, whether those conditions had in fact been performed. With such recitals before them they had the right to assume that the circumstances existed which authorized the city to exercise the authority given by the Legislature.” Evansville v. Dennett, 161 U. S. 443 , 16 Sup. Ct. 617 , 40 L. Ed. 760 .”

   6 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Board of Com'rs v. National Life Ins. Co. of Montpelier · City of Santa Cruz v. Waite

2. ““Where a statute confers power upon a municipal corporation, upon performance of certain precedent conditions, to execute bonds in aid of the construction of a railroad, * * * and imposes upon certain officers * * * the responsibility of issuing such bonds when certain conditions have been complied with, recitals by such officers that the bonds have been issued in conformity with the statute have been held, in favor of bona fide purchasers for value, to import full compliance with the statute and to preclude inquiry as to whether the precedent conditions had been performed before the bonds were issued.””

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Clapp v. Village of Marice City · Inhabitants of Town of Harmony v. Truman

3. “Section 1996 of the Code of North Carolina: “The boards of commissioners of the several counties shall have power to subscribe stock to any railroad company or companies when necessary to aid in the completion of any railroad in which the citizens of the county may have an interest.” Section X&87 of the Code of North Carolina: “The board of commissioners of any county proposing to take stock in any railroad company shall meet and agree upon the amount to be subscribed, and, If a majority of the board shall vote for the proposition, this shall be entered upon the record, which shall show the amount proposed to be subscribed, to what company, and whether in bonds, money or other property, and thereupon the board shall order an election, to be held on a notice of not, less than thirty days, for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to subscribe the amount of stock agreed on by the hoard of county commissioners. And, if a majority of the qualified voters of the county shall vote in favor of the proposition, the board of county commissioners, through their chairman, shall have power to subscribe the amount of stock proposed by them and submitted to tbs people, subject to all the rules, regulations and restrictions of other stockholders in such company or companies. Provided, that the counties, to the manner aforesaid, shall subscribe from time to time such amounts, either in bonds or money, as they may think proper.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Board of Com'rs of Stanly County v. Coler