Thomas v. MacKlen’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

18 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 18 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““All presumptions are in favor of the power of that body to enact the law. All considerations involving the wisdom, the policy, or the expediency of the act are addressed exclusively to that branch of the state government. Its power to enact the law is the sole question addressed to this court. So long as doubts concerning this power remain, it is our plain duty to resolve them in favor of the validity of the act. But when the unconstitutionality of an act is clear to this court, beyond a reasonable doubt, then it is its plain duty to say so.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. McElveen v. Stokes

2. ““ ‘Judicial decisions uniformly declare that the classification of cities and towns must be based on a rational difference of situation or condition found in the municipalities placed in the different classes (Northwestern University v. [Village of] Wilmette, 230 Ill. 80, 87 , 82 N. E. 615 ) that the basis of classification must have some reasonable relation to the purposes and objects to be obtained by the legislation and in some rational degree account for the various provisions of the enactment’.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Town of Forest Acres v. Town of Forest Lake

3. ““Provided, That nothing contained in this Section shall prohibit the General Assembly from enacting special provisions in general laws.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. McElveen v. Stokes