Ex Parte White’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

48 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 50 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"`Due process, however, does not in every case require that the determination of the parent's right to the custody of his child must precede any interference therewith. The child may be taken from his custody provisionally by a summary proceeding, so long as an adequate remedy is available by which the parent may afterward have his rights presented to a proper tribunal. . . .'" ( 245 Ala. at 215 , 16 So.2d at 503 )”

   5 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Williams v. Williams · M.S. v. State Department of Human Resources

2. “"`. . . It is not a remedy by suit. It is a remedy by petition. . . . The chancellor in exercising his jurisdiction upon petition does not proceed upon the theory that the petitioner, whether father or mother, has a cause of action against the other or indeed against anyone. He acts as parens patriae to do what is best for the interest of the child. . . . He is not adjudicating a controversy between adversary parties, to compose their private differences. He is not determining rights "as between a parent and a child," or as between one parent and another. . . . Equity does not concern itself with such disputes in their relation to the disputants. Its concern is for the child.'" 245 Ala. at 214 , 16 So.2d at 502.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Thorne v. Thorne