Shackman v. United States’s Empirical Analysis
1951
Citation profile
9
cited by 9 later decisions
March 1965
most recently cited
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 9 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“The proposition that the common meaning of a statutory term is a matter of law to be determined by the court is by now so well established that we deem the citation of any cases in support thereof to be unnecessary. It is equally well established that in arriving at that meaning the court may draw upon its own knowledge, or, if need be to refresh its recollection, consult any available qualified authority. It would appear that the term “box” is of so simple.and elementary a character that the mere utterance of the word would ordinarily suggest its meaning and connotation. Yet, as in the case of many words, current in common expression, the meaning of the term in question is much more complex and obscure than,its frequent and repeated use would seem to indicate. There is no comprehensive, well-defined understanding of the word “box” to which we can point as signifying any particular juxtaposition of planes and angles or as denoting any specific shape or form of structure.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage“box. n. 1. A receptacle or case, usually six-sided and rectangular, of wood, pasteboard, metal, or other material, for many and various uses. A box is distinguished from a basket in having stiff, more or less solid, sides; from a bowl, in being square rather than round: from a barrel, hogshead, or the like, in that the latter is made of staves bound in hoops. 2. Any one of various objects or receptacles variously resembling a box.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage“n. 1. Typically, a receptacle with four sides, a bottom, and a cover, made of any of various materials, as wood, cardboard, steel, etc.; loosely, any of various similar receptacles. Box is the general term for closed receptacles, esp. such as are readily portable, and includes case, casket, chest, coffer, pyx, etc. In early use box was commonly restricted to small receptacles.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.