Barton v. Sturgis’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

3 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 5 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “As we read this option contract and consider it from its four corners, as we must, its terms appear clear and unambiguous. Therefore, we hold that all conversations, letters and documents, which it appears were exchanged [between the parties], and offered in proof, were merged into the completed option contract, in the absence of fraud, and were inadmissible under the parol evidence rule. We find no evidence of fraud in this record. The principle of law is well established that parol evidence to explain the relation of the parties at the time a written instrument is executed is admissible only to ascertain the true meaning of such instrument, when by its words or terms it appears to be ambiguous. In [a] recent case (citation omitted) we said: “(The parties) having made this contract in clear and unambiguous language, it is the duty of the court to construe it according to the plain meaning of the language employed, and not to enlarge or extend its terms on any theory.” (citation omitted). “The first rule of interpretation is to give to the language employed by the parties to a contract the meaning they intended. It is the duty of the court to do this from the language used where it is plain and unambiguous.” (Citation omitted).”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 759 F. Supp. 510 - Wiener v. Farm Credit Bank of St. Louis