Ledbetter v. United States’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

437 federal appellate · 75 district · 52 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 660 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Neither is it necessary to prove that the offense was committed upon the day alleged, unless a particular day be made material by the statute creating the offense. Ordinarily, proof of any day before the finding of the indictment, and within the statute of limitations, will be sufficient.””

   8 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Yaw v. United States · Lelles v. United States

2. ““Even in the cases of misdemeanors, the indictment must be free from all ambiguity, and leave no doubt in the minds of the accused and the court of the exact offense intended to be charged, not only that the former may know what he is called upon to meet, but that, upon a plea of former acquittal or conviction, the record may show with accuracy the exact offense to whieh the plea relates.””

   5 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. In re Bellah · United States v. Carney

3. ““Notwithstanding the cases above cited from our Reports, the general rule still holds good that upon an indictment for a statutory offense the offense may be described in the words of the statute, and it is for the defendant to show that greater particularity is required by reason of the omission from the statute of some element of the offense. Where the statute completely covers the offense, the indictment need not be made complete by specifying particulars elsewhere obtained.””

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Dierkes v. United States · United States v. Key Line Freight, Inc.